《Aimless Ascension》


 Chapter 1 001 Unfinished

    ?Never leave anything unfinished that you started, his mother had told him. Yet here he was, abandoning his pledged duty to the people of thisnd.


    Gale''s only constion was that he didn''t really start it. He was merely pulled into it, like many others.


    Considering the circumstances, even Mother would approve of abandoning something that may kill him the next day. Besides, Gale owed these people nothing, except a specific few, but they would unlikely want him to give his life for them.


    So, goodbye my spear, goodbye my dream of immortality, and goodbye my squabbling subordinates, my senior brother and sisters. Your boss is getting out of here.


    Six yearspared with Earth time, that would be over eight years¨CGale was summoned to this bloody xianxiand for no particr reason at all. No chosen-by-fate horseshit, it''s nothing but mere happenstance that an insane practitioner identally summoned him from a good life to thrust him into the brutality of this horseshit xianxia.


    I swear on my mother, if I ever get hold of that shithead summoner, I''ll make him regret his every living moment.


    Sadly, that ship had sailed years ago. Gale wasn''t even sure if that asshat summoner was alive, and he didn''t want to run around all over this great treacherous world looking for trouble. He had enough of that already, no point in borrowing more if he could live the rest of his life peacefully.


    "Come on, boy," Gale called Vale, staring at thendscape with a sparkle of hope in his eyes. Vale¡ªthe huge furry mutt, almost reaching Gale''s waist¡ªwoofed, lunging ahead of him. "We''ll be there in an hour or two."


    Thick green forest spread in the surroundings, as rows of old oaks and maples marked the way. The sun hovered low, escaping between the mountains with white cliffs on the horizon, brushing the sky in an abstract canvas of dreamy utopia. Perhaps it had more to do with him being weary of life that this life before him seemed far more appealing even before he started.


    Vale moved ahead, woofing to call Gale as if wanting him to see something. Gale indulged, as soon a valley came into view with green grass and yellow fields ready for reaping. A river wound its way through the valley to the woods and vanished somewhere far that his sight couldn''t follow.


    They would reach the valley by sundown if he used some Qi to augment movement speed, but that would call for unwanted attention, which he would strongly want to stay away from.


    As he was musing, a horse carriage trotted behind, aiming for the same destination. Gale thought nothing further and halted on the path, holding his right arm to get a lift. Most people weren''t really that amodating to a stranger in this horseshit xianxia world, or even any world, for that matter. But Gale had nothing to lose.


    What worse could they do to him other than ignoring requests? Well, if it were some shithead young master, they could try something, just because they can. But there was a zero chance for a Young Master to travel to a rural area such as this. Anyway, I will find out soon if the wagon stops.


    And it did, lifting his spirit. The mares came to a halt as the wagoner stared at him questioningly.


    "Good evening, gentleman." Gale approached, bowing slightly. "If it isn''t too much to ask, would you be kind enough to take this brother to the town?"


    For an extended moment, there was no reply. The wagoner waited just as he did. Looks like much of it depended on who he was carrying. Well, if it were for the wagoner¡ªa copper rank practitioner¡ªhe would jeer Gale away, without even considering. But the Wagoner had to reconsider with the furry Vale standing next to the odd-looking stranger.


    "I can pay for the ride," Gale added, finding the wagoner dismayed.


    The wagoner remained silent and stony-faced when a thinyer of spiritual aura brushed against Gale, perking his eyebrows in rm. Gale fought to keep an impassive front, with his power hidden inside, only giving the aura of a Copper Ranker. He didn''t expect to see an expert so soon, not to mention in this ce.


    Was this an imbecile Young Master being rude? Nah, the delicate control of aura wasn''t something an imbecile could muster. As Gale was musing inwardly, a reply came from inside, "Hop in."


    "Much appreciated," Gale said and turned towards Vale, who looked at him with puppy eyes. "Come on, buddy. You hardly have any trouble chasing, and you won''t fit."


    Vale woofed in a slightly grudging tone, but Gale left him to his devices, knowing Vale was merely being dramatic.


    "Thank you for the ride." He hopped in to find a man a couple of years older and multiple times more handsome sitting, reading a leather-bound book, while also looking at him in the corner of his eyes.


    Gale had to reassess his view of this man. Indeed, this guy had the look of a proud young master, but with silvery hair grazed to his scalp, a handsome look and manners with the fine white robe, he didn''t seem like a resident of this area. Well, he didn''t appear useless, which was the biggest giveaway through the firm control of his aura.


    "I''m new here," the handsome fellow said, resting his book on his knees, "but you hardly look from this region."


    The statement contained no questions, but it asked one. Not only from this region, but Gale also hardly looked like the people of this domain.


    "First time here," he admitted. "Heard the Wayshire Valley is good for the restless heart and people can live a carefree life, forgetting the worldly danger."


    "So they say." The man neither admitted nor denied it. "I''m Sun Ziang, d to make your acquaintance."


    "Gale," he said, bowing slightly again. "Likewise."


    "Gale," Sun Ziang repeated. "That''s not an eastern domain name."


    "Nor am I from the eastern domain," Gale said, sighing. "I came all the way from the south, not really a pleasant journey, but here I am."


    "That''s almost half the world away, dangerous water to tread. Mr Gale, you must have some particr ce and stuff in mind. I don''t suppose Wayshire has that much of an appeal to tread half a world."


    "I didn''te in specifically thinking of this ce," Gale answered. "I was travelling the world and came across some trouble, and decided some pleasant ce to rest wasn''t bad."


    Sun Ziang arched an eyebrow, but didn''t follow the line as Gale was dismissive about continuing on the topic. "I suppose that''s one reason people look for Wayshire. You''re new here, Mr Gale. I''m sure you have prepared all the legal documents. If you have not, I would strongly advise against causing any trouble here."


    "Thank you for your concern," Gale said briskly. "I have enough legal documents to get by."


    Sun Ziang nodded in solemn silence for a while, opening his book again. "Folks can get away with many things here," he added, staring at the pages of the book. "Law enforcement isn''t the strong suit of this region, but that''s about to change soon."


    He stated as if it was a matter of fact and unlikely directed at Gale. Well, notpletely. People hardly like anything different at first nce, and Gale was probably the most foreign thing a ce like Wayshire saw in years. Still,pared to Sun Ziang, with his ridiculously handsome appearance, grazed silver hair and firm presence, Gale seemed like an unremarkable fellow, just some guy who found his way into another unremarkable valley.


    They exchanged a little more words and Gale found Sun Ziang was more of a private fellow than he thought, not letting out anything about himself. But Gale was gratified to find Sun Ziang not prying too much about him either.


    It was pretty clear that Sun Ziang was a man of principle. It''s not just how he presented himself, but the aura too was upstanding, something that could only be cultivated through a virtuous path. He was a young fellow at the Silver Rank, which spoke volumes of his talent. Well, the rank wasn''t anything rare, but there were plenty of other things that were just as important as the rank.


    "Mr Gale, I don''t suppose you have any ce to stay?" Sun Ziang brought up, peeking at the window.


    "Nah," Gale replied. "I''m thinking of crashing into an inn for a couple of days before getting on other business."


    "Inn. One ising right up with fairly decent service, with most of the features an inn can provide in the valley. There are a couple more nearby with simr qualities, but this one is known for fairness in business. You can check them out if you like."


    "Fantastic," Gale said. "I guess this is goodbye then. Thank you for the ride. If you want, I can pay for--"


    "No." Sun Ziang shook his head. "That will be unnecessary."


    "Well, thanks again then."<novelnext></novelnext>


    A couple of minutester, the wagon halted on the side. Gale came out before the gate of a fairly sized two-storey lodge, called the Wang''s Inn. A woof sounded from behind as Vale joined shortly, nudging his leg. Gale ruffled the dog''s furry head as the carriage trotted away on the path, moving deeper into the town.


    The sun sat beyond the roof of the inn and Gale peered around, inhaling a deep fresh breath of air. A few people on standby gave curious nces towards Gale and his huge furry hound. However, their attention soon diverted towards a louderpany, scurrying down the path.


    "Han Xiao, this is thest time I''m speaking politely," said a young girl with some reservations. Her eyes darted towards the bystanders and came back to the fellow, pulling her arm again. "Let go."


    "And what if I don''t?" Han Xiao hardly had any reservations about the folks watching. "Come on, Little Xiaolin, there''s no need to shy away. It''s me."


    The young woman gritted her teeth and lurched her arm, trying to break free, but young master Han''s grip was firm on the prize¡ªwhich was, of course, the young woman.


    "Let go, people are watching," Xiaolin said through gritted teeth.


    "So what?" Han Xiao spoke like a true young master. "I waited too long. Don''t make it more difficult than it already is, Xiaolin."


    Oh, that''s definitely a brain-dead young master, Gale thought inwardly. He had spent almost eight years in this world. He wasn''t someone to mistake that.


    Although this fellow had a fairly handsome feature, the heaven-defying pride¡ªwhich could only be provided by a wealthy father and family¡ªandplete disdain for others rendered him a bottom contender in the list of all the young masters Gale met over the years.


    Gale looked around at the people, waiting for someone to stand up for the young maiden. Well, she''s fairly pretty, so there''s a fair chance of some hotheaded youth standing up for her, but there didn''t seem to be any.


    The two bickered as Gale considered getting involved. He wasn''t looking for trouble¡ªwell, truth be told, Gale never looked for trouble¡ªtroubles just presented themselves before him. Should I? He mused. Believe it or not, young masters are the worst possible way to stir trouble.


    These little fucks are like cosmic butterflies. A little p of wings in some unremarkable town, and a great disaster strikes half a world away. One moment you''re standing up against them, the next moment a dozen old coots chasing after you.


    "Woof!"


    As Gale was considering, his pal, Vale, took the matter in his own paws, growling furiously at the young master. That caught most people''s attention, including Han Xiao and Xiaolin.


    And here I thought I could avoid getting into trouble.


    Shaking his head in dejection, Gale crept towards the conflict, ruffling his buddy a little, which calmed Vale down, though he stared at Han Xiao fiercely.


    "Easy buddy," Gale told Vale, quietly. "No need to get worked up about this little shit."


    Even though Gale spoke softly, the entitled little lord detected it wasn''t anything nice about him. "Who are you?" he barked. "Do you have any problems?"


    "As a matter of fact, I do," Gale said, pointing at how indignantly the boy was gripping the girl and hurting her. "This is a highly indignant way to treat a woman. Didn''t your mum teach you better?"


    An angry scowl crawled on Han Xiao''s face as his nostrils red. "How dare you? Do you know who my father is?"


    Yep, that''s the line I''m waiting for. It warms my heart no matter how many times I hear it. Another thing about Young Masters, they are hardly innovative in their dialogues.


    "What?" Han Xiao smirked chillingly. "You have nothing more to say? Go back to the way you came from--" he frowned at the furry hound. "--Take your beast with you, and I might consider not going after you."


    Gale had the urge to kick this guy in the ass until he cried his daddy''s name, but he refrained from making a spectacle of himself on the very first day. Something about these entitled little shits always gets on his nerves.


    "Sir," the young girl, Xiaolin, said, sounding shameful. "I thank you for standing up for me, but you should go back before--"


    "Before I made you regret standing up," Han Xiao said, Qi red around him. It seemed he took Gale''s silence aspliance. Well, that was hardly surprising.


    "I take that as a failure from your parents'' end," Gale said and stepped forward. He tilted his head, staring at the fellow unblinkingly.


    "What are you looking at?" Han Xiao yelled. "Do you want--"


    Air froze between Gale and Young Master Han abruptly. All the Qi Han Xiao mustered around him, went out of his control. They stilled before dissolving into thin air as if they weren''t even there. It was as if time stilled for an extended moment.


    Han Xiao''s face went red and not just from anger, but from losing the air needed in his respiratory. His grip on the youngdy''s arm loosened. He attempted to bark again, but nothing came out of his mouth as he staggered behind.


    "Woof!"


    All things turned to normal. Well, all except Young Master Han, who staggered on the ground. Gale sighed, shaking his head. He looked towards his buddy, who gave him a sympathetic look. Yeah, I know. It seems I will need more introspection on my mental health.


    "You!" Han Xiao shouted, gasping. His voice was a mixture of unbridled anger, fury, and terror. "You don''t know who my father is! My--"


    "You''re right," Gale agreed. "I don''t know your father, but I do know you. You''re just another petty, entitled Young Lord, so insecure that you either don''t care or are utterly oblivious to the people you''re hurting. The reason these people put up with you so much has nothing to do with you, but you''re aware of that. Aren''t you? Deep down, you know, without your father, you''re nothing."


    Han Xiao''s face looked disgusted, and the youngdy was horrified. Gale gazed around the stillness that dawned among the bystanders.


    "My father . . ." Han Xiao barked like a broken record yer.


    "Go home," Gale told him sternly. "And think twice before pulling such a stunt again." He then turned towards the youngdy, who stood glued to her spot, clutching her arms together. "You should go home too, Young Lady."


    Xiaolin nodded heavily, unsure of what else to do.


    "Sorry." Gale sighed unknowingly. "My temper got the better of me. Now, if you excuse me."


    ___________


    VOLUME ONE: THE LEFT HAND OF CALAMITY


    Read the Author''s note below before proceeding.


    If you like surprises then go ahead. . .

 Chapter 2 002 A Changed Man (1)

    ?Gale went through the gates of Wang''s Inn, apanying him was Vale in his ever-cheerful mood.


    The Inn wasn''t anything fanciful that one could find in great cities, but it had its charm with generous decoration and cleanliness, followed by a small garden with blooming night flowers. A fine pond held on the side, as gusts of wind blew fragrance and flower petals. Each petal stirred the water a little, but it remained still mostly.


    Gale found himself staring at the water until he sensed the youngdy behind him. He turned his head and met her eyes.


    Xiaolin halted instantly and found his questioning look. "I work here," she told him, bowed, and crept into the inn in a matter of a few seconds.


    Gale perked his eyes at Vale while the beast shrugged intelligibly. They went inside as well.


    The door creaked open as the bell rang. The sweet odour of wine drifted through the air, and a few pairs of gazes darted towards the neers that entered the inn. They gave Gale a good stare, as a few exchanged slight nods with him. Their gaze lingered on Vale for a little longer before they went on with their business, which was, of course, drinking.


    "Be seated, stranger," a man told him, half drunk. "The Wang wench wille in her time."


    Gale moved towards the empty seats facing the counter. He seated himself in one while his buddy remained near his foot.


    The room was wide enough to hold fifty people easily as over a dozen softwood tables spread in the hall. A handful of folks drank, yed, or bickered at a couple of tables, confirming they were the regrs. As the sun wasing down, the artificial light constructs on the ceiling and walls stirred, brightening the entire room.


    Ady came in from behind the door of the counter soon after. She had loose purple robes on, fair-skinned like most people in the eastern domain, and was of medium height. Her hair in braids, though, looked slightly dishevelled after a long day of work.


    "Fresh face," she said, giving him a look. "What can I get you?"


    Instead of waiting for his reply, she proceeded to move the sses and other containers and started wiping the counter. Something about her told Gale she was the Woman of this ce. Wang Wench, ording to that drunk Oldman.


    "Um, for starters, how about a drink?" Gale said. "Something sweet, strong and seasoned. Oh, it also needs to be at least of iron rank."


    Thest statement piqued an eyebrow from the woman as she turned towards him. "Are you sure?" she asked. "At your copper rank, even a simple gulp of iron-rank alcohol will make youpletely tipsy. Then I''ll have to call folks to carry you. That''s not really the best impression to make on the first day."


    "Thank you," Gale said, meeting her gaze, "but I''ll be fine."


    Anything of copper rank could hardly intoxicate him, even when his Qi was suppressed. Well, there should be a few bottles of good wine left in his spatial storage, but it''s better to check out the local stuff, lest he needs to prepare better stuff for himself. Besides, it wouldn''t advisable to drink from his stock when most of his Qi was suppressed.


    Thedy still looked conflicted about wasting good iron-ranked liquor on him. To ease her spirit, he brought five iron marks out of his vest pocket, each of them full of worldly energy, glowing in white light. He put them on the counter and pushed them a little. "For my drink."


    "Well, if you want to make a spectacle of yourself," thedy said and proceeded to prepare his drink.


    "Oi, Wang Li," an old drunkard yelled from one table in the back, "our jugs ain''t gonna fill on their own. Stop messing around and fill my jugs."


    The Innkeeper clicked her tongue. "Old Shi," she yelled back, "before ordering more, you better clear your tabs. You owe over four iron marks already."


    "Huh, what are you talking about?" the old drunkard shouted. "I cleared my tabsst night to that husband of yours. Now, stop fooling around and give me my booze."


    Wang Li frowned, cocking her head towards the old drunkard. "How did that happen?"


    "The usual," Old Shi told her, giving a toothy grin. "He lost a gamble."


    Wang Li clenched her jaws as veins popped on her temple.


    "Now,e on, bring me booze."


    Wang Li exhaled audibly, reconciling her ire. "Looks like I''ll need a drink for myself as well," she muttered and turned towards the door behind the counter. "Xiaolin, what''s taking you so long? Leave Little Rong to his Grandma ande in."


    With all these loud exchanges, Gale got the impression that this wasn''t some high-ss inn, but exactly what it showed. Life was hard here, but troubles were more earthy than what Gale had to deal with.


    Wang Li prepared the drinks as the pretty young woman with a dark purple apron worn above her robes came in. Xiaolin had a thin frame, average height¡ªfive feet and nothing, but her face was a pretty one, which seemed to cause all the trouble with that young master.


    She found him seated at the front and bowed strictly. Wang Li raised an eyebrow at that, but asked nothing. She merely gestured towards the table and Xiaolin crept to work with no-question-asked.


    "Here you go." Wang Li held a ss jug full of pale yellow wine. "Not our best stuff, but good enough."


    "Thank you." Gale took the jug, smelt it, and gulped down. It was sweet, but not particrly strong. The innkeeper''s incredulity to his im provided her with sound reason to give him this. Well, he would not start trouble for this small matter.


    In between his swallowing, he found Wang Li gawking at him as if waiting for him to fall off the seat. Gale betrayed her expectationspletely, gulping down half the content in one go. A slight intoxication prickled his senses. Gale let it.


    Wang Li almost looked hurt. "Looks like I don''t need to call folks to carry you around," she told him, and poured herself a drink, a copper-ranked one.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Xiaolin came back with an empty tray, based herself on the side, watchful like a soldier, albeit clumsily.


    Wang Li sipped her drink quietly, mindful and weary. She turned to him after a moment, recalling the chance to do business here. "So, you''re new here?"


    "Yeah," Gale said and curtsied with a traditional bow. "I''m Gale, and will probably stay in Wayshire for some time."


    Vale took advantage of the moment, thrusting up a little from his ce to show his face, giving a curt woof.


    "And this is Vale," Gale added.


    "A tamed beast?" Wang Li said. "Most practitioners tend to tame more ferocious ones."


    "Vale can be ferocious," Gale said and in response, his buddy tilted his head and gave an adorable look that was just too hard to resist.


    Wang Li gave a t look.


    "Only to bad people," Gale added, smiling briskly.


    Vale woofed, agreeing. But that''s hard to believe with how adorable Vale looked. Wang Li even raised her palm to pat him.


    "We would like to book a room for the night."


    "This is going to cost you more," Wang Li said. "We have services to take care of tamed beasts. Are you sure you don''t want to leave him there?"


    "Money isn''t a problem." Gale finished his drink. "I would like to have a bath, too. With warm food, we''ll be set to rest."


    "How long are you going to stay?"


    "Until I have a ce of my own." Gale frowned, bobbing his head at her. "Do you know where I can buy a piece ofnd?"


    "I don''t think anyone would like to sell theirnd anytime soon." Wang Li considered it for a moment. "You should check in at the Mayor''s office. They havend to dispose of, but I''m telling you, they ain''t gonna be peachy."


    "Well, as long as it has fresh air to breathe and enough room to work, I won''tin."


    "What are you looking to do?" the innkeeper asked. "I don''t see many young practitioners sequestering in a ce for long. They are all about adventure, advancement, and chasing after immortality."


    "Once they were my goals, too," Gale said, pushing the empty jug on the counter.


    "What happened?"


    "I grew out of them."


    "Well, that''s not a good attitude to have for a young practitioner," Wang Li murmured. She sighed and moved on to business mode. "The best suite avable here will cost you fifty copper marks for a night, including three meals. Ten extra marks for your pet. Also, you eat what we make. Additional cost to fulfil your acquired taste. Other service charges ordingly. No haggling. What do you say, or should I go lower?"


    "That will do,'' Gale said. "Thank you. Now about the bath--"


    "Public or Private? Public is free with the rooms."


    "Private," Gale said without thinking.


    "Four copper marks for a herbal private bath."


    "That seems fair," Gale said.


    "The drink cost you one iron and twenty copper marks."


    "Good, keep the change as advance. I''ll need more of them so long as I''m here."


    ________________


    It seemed most of the format doesn''t support here. So if you find any sentence starts with ''I'' without any quotation, think of them as thoughts or inner-monologue.

 Chapter 3 003 A Changed Man (2)

    ?Gale stared nkly at the cloudy sky for several minutes, immersed in the warm water.


    The private stone bath had an open sky with softwood walls barricaded all around from peering gazes. Herbal vour drifted in the air, while the temperature reached the perfect degree as the spirit constructs stopped warming the water.


    Gale remained idle, immersed in the lukewarm water. Was this how his life was going to be? Idle and uneventful. His mind elected to that thought, but a part of him told him he won''t like the uneventful life all that much.


    Gale hated to admit it, but overlooking all the blood and gore of this xianxiand, he liked this ce. He enjoyed adventuring into unknown legends and discovering new things, despite all the danger. He loved the camaraderie, despite the few he had been left with. He liked high society, despite all the politics and its shadiness.


    Gale loved gliding through the sky, the free wind caressing his face. He adored all the new stuff he came across. He liked killing monsters and helping people in need. The sheer gratitude they showered on him, even when he barely saved them, filled him with the fulfilment that he never managed to earn in his past world.


    No matter how many times he denied it to others, the truth remained unchanged in his mind. He liked all of this.


    But I can''t do all that anymore, can I?


    Leaning back against the wet stone, Gale lifted his ankle out of the water. A thick metallic anklet bore his ankle tight, as dark blue veins showed above and below, bulging in the muscles until they disappeared. The anklet had ancient runic patterns in them, something Gale had some grasp of, but this anklet wasn''t his making.


    It was an abominablyplicated suppression device that kept most of his Qi and spirit aura locked. If it looked ominous merely from the outside, you hadn''t seen what it did to his inside. The anklet''s inside had long teeth that bit through his flesh, reaching bones. That''s not the end of it.


    It hurt like hell when they first put it on him, and it hurts like hell now too, so long he thought of removing the ankle. A safety, especially put inside for him, lest he tries to remove the manacle and kill himself.


    The Manacle wasn''t evil, but what it was suppressing inside was.


    One of the biggest achievement in Gale''s life was treading path with a Thunderfiend and defeat it when he was barely Gold. He killed the fiend alright and saved millions of lives, unfortunately, in the process of killing the Thunderfiend Gale was introduced to corruption.


    A good portion of his Qi was tainted and that doomed his carrier of a practitioner as there''s still no cure for corruption. Yet. They could only suppress it.


    And with that, his adventuring life was over. He could neither unseal the suppression device nor promote his strength. The Great Gale Stormborn was reduced to nothing but a miserable sap awaiting death. Well, he could use his power alright, but drawing the tainted Qi would reduced him to less everytime he use them.


    Still anything below gold should be manageable for him to deal with.


    Gale had too many things to regret, but he didn''t want to live in regret. ''So here I am. Let''s see what life throws at me.''


    Gale didn''t go on introspecting his depressing thoughts. He finished bathing, wiped himself off and put on a loose night robe. Before leaving the bath, he turned to face the mirror and met his gaze.


    His face resembled faintly to the boy that came to this world years ago. After a few turns of transfiguration and purification, his face changed a lot. It didn''t take the liberty of words to call him handsome anymore. Nobody can remain ugly or unremarkable in the realm he had reached. Well, that was of earth''s standard, mostly.


    But that wasn''t the reason he was staring in the mirror.


    Gale wondered what to make of this face. He barely recognised it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Exhaling, he got out of the bath, bottling up all those thoughts. A smile crept to his lips as he found the cutess Xiaolin standing absently, deep in thought with a bucket and broom.


    "Are you waiting for me, Xiaolin?" he called her by her name this time.


    The Young Lady got out of her stupor, almost dropping the bucket while the broom fell after she fumbled twice. Gale''s smile widened, finding the clumsy Xiaolin, turning red. The littless had thanked him and apologised more than twice already, though Gale was sure she would do it again.


    "Ah, yes," said Xiaolin, getting hold of the broom. "I wanted to talk to you about something, but after what you did with Han Xiao, I . . ."


    "It was nothing," Gale said, shaking his head. He moved along the corridor, gesturing for Xiaolin to follow. "What do you want to say? It better not be any more gratitude or apology. I still have to eat, miss."


    "Oh, no, nothing of that sort," Xiaolin said. "Although you have my gratitude for standing up for me, Senior Gale--"


    "What did I say? No more gratitude."


    "Yes, Senior Gale."


    "Just Gale is fine."


    Xiaolin looked horrified hearing that. Wait, it was taboo for normal folks to address a practitioner without honorifics. Especially in the eastern domain. The old people were still firm about their traditions. Gale wouldn''t be able to scour the tradition that had been imprinted onto her bones that easily.


    "What do you want to say?" Gale waited for her to steady, which took a few more seconds than usual.


    "Senior Gale is looking fornd to purchase," she said, and Gale waited. "I may be stepping my boundaries, but I can propose an option for that."


    Gale perked his eyebrows at her. He deliberated over this matter with Wang Li for several minutes. Back then, Xiaolin remained silent like a log, working her duty of pouring drinks, serving and cleaning.


    "Do you know someone who''d likely sellnd?"


    Xiaolin shook her head strongly. "It''s mynd. Thend my father left me with," she said, biting her lips, which suggested there was more to it than it showed on the outside. "It meets all criteria Senior Gale spoke up, but . . ."


    Gale was waiting for that ''but'' exactly. It seemed like she didn''t want to sell off hernd, but there were other issues she couldn''t deal with that rendered her to walk on this path.


    "Xiaolin, I''m tired after all the journey. How about we talk about all this in the morning when you have a better sales pitch in mind?"


    _______

 Chapter 4 004 Eccentric (1)

    ?"Madam Wang, I''m telling you, this ain''t right," repeated Guan Min, one of the kitchen helpers. "Leaving the kitchen to a foreigner. Who knows what he will cook up?"


    "I heard you the first time," Wang Li said, not lifting her head, busy making sure her baby drank the milk. Little Rong would be three this fall. His birth hadn''t been easy with low birth weight and all, but nobody could say he was unhealthy now with how he looked. "What''s the problem exactly?"


    "Haven''t I told you already?" Guan Min grumbled. "That foreigner, he''s creating trouble in the kitchen. Apparently, he wanted to make his own meal. Granny Lu asked for you to solve this."


    "Of course she did." Wang Li lifted her head. "It doesn''t look good if we let guests work. Why did she even let Mr Gale enter the kitchen?"


    "The foreigner, he insisted," Guan Min said. Finding Wang Li unconvinced, she added, "He was very convincing."


    "I knew this fellow''s weird when he first ordered Iron ranked alcohol," Wang Li muttered and turned to her baby. "Come on, Rong''er, Mother has work to do."


    "No," the little boy told his mother, "Rong''er full."


    "No, Rong''er is not full." Wang Li stuffed the milk bottle into Rong''er''s mouth, rubbing his belly softly. "Now, drink quickly or no dessertter."


    "Mother, bully!" said the boy, but he did drink, albeit rather reluctantly.


    After a short while, Wang Li tumbled towards the kitchen. Guan Min scurried behind. However, their expectation was betrayed, finding nothing amiss in the kitchen. She gave a questioning nce towards Guan Min, who just shrugged, peering into the kitchen.


    Weren''t practitioners a bunch that like to do as they please? No matter what it cost the other party?


    However, the scene before her proved her entirely wrong.


    True, she herself was a practitioner, but she merely squandered through resources to reach Copper Rank only for the sake of convenience. No typical cold, fever, headache or other disease affected her. That sure sounded like a win, even though her family had to spend quite a fortune. But against a life long of conveniences, that''s nothing.


    However, the fellow that lodgedst evening wasn''t a practitioner just for convenience''s sake. At least not beforeing here. He kept a clear head, drinking a jug of iron-ranked wine, something that could make any copper ranker tipsy and asleep for at least a couple of days.


    Moreover, from Xiaolin, Wang Li heard how he had frightened the mayor''s nephew, by merely staring too long. That''s some trick you couldn''t learn attending birthday parties or squandering spirit marks.


    "He''s singing?" Wang Li raised an eyebrow, peeking into the kitchen where a young man was cooking, humming some unknown tune, while a couple of kitchen staffs watched him cook. Granny Lu, the head cook, watched him with a frown. Her expression was something between disapproval and interest while another handed the foreigner whatever he needed.


    "What''s thatnguage?" Guan Min asked, finding the humming unrecognisable.


    "A foreign one." Too foreign to make out anything. True, the fellow seemed to havee from a long way, maybe from another continent. Wang Li just hoped he had no ill intent oning here.


    Wang Li thought about stopping the foreign guest running rampant in the kitchen, but seeing nothing too amiss, she stopped herself. She got a stare from Granny Lu, who told her to stay where she was. Perhaps the old cook was interested in what the foreigner was making.


    Besides, Mr Gale already showed good behaviour from the onset¡ªa bit weird and entric, but many practitioners of spirit arts tended to be. It felt wrong to stop him now, not when he was mostly done.


    About a quarter of an hourter, Gale was finished cooking as the kitchen went back to their normal business. He stepped forward to help clean, but Granny Lu dismissed him with a wave of her hand.


    "What is the name of the dish you made, young man?" Granny Lu asked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "These," Gale blinked, "are just simple sandwiches. Grilled cheese sandwich if you like. Would you like one?"


    Before Granny Lu could agree, he handed her one and turned towards Wang Li and Guan Min.


    "Ahh, good morningdies," Gale said, carrying a tray full of grilled cheese sandwiches. "Care to join me for breakfast?"


    Wang Li arched her eyebrows at the tray, unsure what the abomination Gale made. She turned towards Guan Min.


    "Oh no," said the kitchen staff, scurrying into the kitchen, "I have work to do."


    "Professionalism, I like it," Gale said, staring at the disappearing figure, though it was directed at both of them.


    "Mr Gale, you should be fairly clear what our policy is about guest working," Wang Li said curtly.


    "Oh, sorry, sorry, I was bored to death. A man needs more hobbies other than chasing after eternal life, you know." Gale held the tray before her. "Anyway, I made too many for me. Would you like one? Who knows, you might like foreign food?"


    Wang Li sighed, understanding this man before her wasn''t like most practitioners who only care about progression.


    "Come on," Gale insisted. "I assure you there''s no ''sand'' in them."


    That seemed like a personal joke that Wang Li had no way of deciphering. Nor did she try. Still, she wasn''t sure about taking the thing her guest called a ''sandwich'', but after the unrelenting insistence from Gale, she relented. Staring intently at her sandwich, she moved to the table.


    Gale provided his pet with a huge chunk of raw meat that seemed toorge for the hound, but Vale got busy devouring in silence.


    "He likes it raw," Gale added, ruffling the furry hound in the head. His attention turned to the sandwich. "You folks seemed to not like cheese all that much. For that matter, I couldn''t find any mayonnaise or any of its substitutes."


    "What?"


    Gale sighed. "Well, at least you have tomato sauce." He poured an excessive amount of tomato sauce on the sandwich and tasted it, closing his eyes.


    "You seem to know your stuff," Wang Li added, giving the sandwich a hard look. "Mr Gale, you wanted to know more about this region."


    "Just Gale is fine, and yes," Gale said, taking another bite of the sandwich. "Now where''s that girl? Xiaolin. I thought she had some business propositions to make."


    "She should be with grandma on her cycling lesson." Wang Li turned backwards, peering into the mostly empty inn.


    "Oh." Gale frowned, though mostly kept his interest in the sandwich. Their approach to practising spirit art is most ancient, and while some of it was great, many were vastly outdated from what he found. But who was he to judge ancient traditions?


    "You''re interested in buyingnd?"

 Chapter 5 005 Eccentric (2)

    ?"You''re interested in buyingnd?"


    "That''s the idea, though that would depend mostly on what she had to offer. As long as my requirements are met, money isn''t an issue."


    Wang Li considered his words for a few seconds. "You act more like a nobleman than I assumed. Well, as long as everything went ording to n, no party wouldin."


    Gale nodded and stared at her. Well, mostly at the sandwich in her hand. Wang Li groaned internally and finally bit a small piece of the sandwich, expression contemtive.


    "How''s it?"


    Wang Li pondered for an extended second, savouring the taste and deliberating what to say, which may not be offending to the practitioner, who may not be arrogant as they go, but definitely prideful. Especially for the food he made, it seemed.


    "It''s good," she said. "Too much cheese, though. I figure it''s an acquired taste."


    "Well, you''re not wrong." Gale''s bonded beast came next to him after finishing the chunk of meat. The practitioner nuzzled the furry head, contemting. "I wondered what I would do after this. I''m not really good at many things, but I''ll die of boredom if I do nothing." He turned towards her with a smile on his lips. "Maybe I should open a tavern? Madam Wang, how''s the business here?"


    Wang Li blinked at him, unsure what to say. "Business. . .is stable at best. It rarely thrives save for local festivals. But if it''s only business that you want, I see no fault in starting one."


    "Hmm." Gale seemed contemtive. "I do like cooking, and more particrly eating, but I''m not that familiar with the local cuisine. Perhaps I will start to learn that. Anyway, back to the topic, Madam Wang. What''s your take on thend Xiaolin wants to pitch?"


    Wang Li collected her thoughts and sighed. "You should take it. It''s excellent farmingnd that could cultivate iron-ranked grains with just some care. Xiaolin might want to part with it at a cheap price." She paused. "You said money isn''t an issue, but that''s always something you need to have a hard grasp on. Besides, I doubt you can find anything better in Wayshire anytime soon."


    "Tell me more about thend"


    "Well, it''s about a dozen acres of fertilend, too much for a lone person to handle, and that''s why Xiaolin was adamant about selling it. The only downside is it''s on the west side of the valley, on the periphery. So not many live there, other than the few farmer families."


    Gale deliberated for some time and shook his head. "I can''t decide without seeingnd."


    "Other than that, there''s a delicate matter I wanted to talk to you about." Wang Li looked ufortable at first. "First, I thank you for helping the poor girl the other day. While the people of Wayshire are honest and trustworthy, theycked the spine to stand for one lone girl sometimes. Especially when the other party holds much of the station."


    "Oh, you''re talking about the other day. That''s nothing. Xiaolin thanked me excessively already."


    "Yes, everything should have been alright after that, but we both know it won''t end there."


    Gale grunted. He came straight to business. "Who''s that kid''s father?"


    "Someone thinks too much of himself," Wang Li said, shaking he head, "but it''s his uncle you need to know more about. Han Xiao is the mayor''s nephew."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale blinked and turned to his pet. The two of them exchanged a long nce, as ifmunicating in silence. Wang Li didn''t understand the bond between the spirit beast and their owner, but from the confrontation, it seemed like Gale was ming his hound for all this. In response, the fluffy mutt stared resolutely.


    Gale relented and turned towards her. "Is the mayor''s view of the world just the same as his ck sheep nephew?"


    Wang Li stared at him for an extended moment. She didn''t answer the question. "The Mayor hardly had time to visit the town. Even if he did, he won''t be petty enough to do anything."


    "But an entitled teenager will." Gale sighed. "Is this why Xiaolin couldn''t sell hernd?"


    "More or less. With the Young Lord shoving his family''s weight around, nobody is ready to buy thend at a fair price." She thought for a second. "Xiaolin wasn''t sure about telling you about thend because of this, but I asserted you wouldn''t care about all that. Now that you have some context on the situation, the decision is yours to make.


    "Buy thend and get into the ill side of the Han Family, or search for a better ce without the baggage. Still, I must add, at this price, the deal is really a catch. But in the end, it is your decision to make."


    Gale finished his sandwich in one mind. He deliberated over the problem, thinking about the pros and cons. The cons outweigh the pros by a long margin. Especially when he was incapacitated of his strength. True, he had Vale with him, but . . .


    "You''re right about me not caring about the kid''s family," he said. "But I have to see thend first to make any decisions."


    "Of course, I''m exhrated that you''re giving this a chance."


    Silence flowed on the table as they finished breakfast. Gale, for having nothing to do, remained seated, rocking back and forth. After a thought, he brought out a book from his void-lock¡ªa spatial storage linked to the meridian of his right arm¡ªand started reading.


    Wang Li was startled to find the booking out of nothing, but kept her silence, thinking Gale was more loaded than he made it out to be.


    Xiaolin came back after half an hour, fresh from the bath. Her big eyes peered at Gale and all around the hall, unsure where to start.


    "Finally," Gale said and lifted his head from the book. "Xiaolin, let''s go see thend. If I like it, we can seal the deal within this week."


    Xiaolin blinked. It took her a few more seconds to understand what he said. "Now?"


    "Yes."


    "But, I . . ." She turned towards Madam Wang, who was cleaning the counter. "I haven''t finished my work yet."


    "It''s alright," the innkeeper said, "I''ll manage without you. Go prepare. I''ll call a carriage."


    ______________

 Chapter 6 006 Oppression (1)

    ?Gale was mostly silent on the wagon, continuing on with the story of the Dragon Prince. The journey would easily take two hours, and there was nothing productive to do. It would bore him to death if not for the piece of fiction, though he couldn''t say he was entertained.


    The story was the same: a lone boy chasing after immortality, making all types of trouble on the way, yet miraculously saved by some godly senior or finding treasure behind waterfalls. Gale could swear he had read dozens of stories where the protagonist found treasures hidden behind waterfalls.


    After a couple of times, it wasn''t even interesting anymore. It''s really hard being a picky reader, especially in this medieval xianxiand. There''s no website to choose a book from. Just pick up what''s selling. But it was always some heroic adventurer or some romance that lonely housewives like to read that was selling.


    It''s truly hard to pick gold from junk, especially in the case of fiction.


    Gale clicked his tongue and closed the book. His eyes met with Xiaolin for once, but she became busy nuzzling Vale immediately.


    "Do you want something to read?" He asked. The teenage girl was probably bored to death herself. After all, younger people had less attention span. As she had prepared hurriedly, she probably forgot to pick something to do on the way. "Come on, don''t be shy. I got some good collection."


    "What is the one you''re reading now?" Xiaolin asked, lifting her head to face him.


    "This?" Gale lifted the leather-bound. "The Dragon Prince by Lin Se. This isn''t really worth my time, but you might like it." Well, probably not. Still, he handed her the book.


    Xiaolin took it hesitantly. But her expression turned baffled, finding another leather-bound emerging out of thin air on Gale''s hand. "What?! How?"


    "I have a voidlock," Gale said as if that exined everything, forgetting that the mortal girl wouldn''t know what a voidlock was. He showed her the new book. "This is the first volume of Lord¨C"


    "Lord of the Heartme," Xiaolin said before he could finish. She blushed. "I have read it a dozen times."


    "Well, it''s a famous book. One of the gems I could find."


    Gale had read the adventure of Lord Heartme once already, but it''s always better to read a book that you like twice instead of reading something boring. That''s his philosophy on reading.


    "I had the entire set of Heartme," Xiaolin said, staring nkly at the book. "Father brought it for me from the capital."


    Her shoulders slumped, remembering.


    "What happened?" Gale frowned. "If you don''t mind me prying."


    Xiaolin remained silent for a while, slouching on her seat, wrapping her arms around the book in a lock. Even with her frail figure, she looked smaller. "He never returned," she said, atst, staring below. "Father went to the capital to sell the grains. It has been over a year and a half, but there''s still no news of him."


    "Oh, I''m sorry. That''s awful." Gale''s voice trailed off, unsure what else to say. He added after a while, "The enforcers or other departments didn''t find anything about it?"


    "They had better things to do than look for the father of a lone mortal girl," she said grudgingly.


    Gale opened his mouth to say something, but his inner awkwardness took hold of him as he closed his lips. It took little to offer a few words of constion, but they would just be empty words. Gale was pretty sure Xiaolin had those plenty.


    Xiaolin opened the book and turned page after page. She busied herself staring at the few illustrations, with no mood of reading.


    Gale couldn''t really do anything for her that would be helpful. Not at the moment. Perhaps after he deals with his pain, he could look for it, but as far as he was concerned, the result won''t be likeable.


    Xiaolin''s father was already missing for over a year. The most probable urrence was death through some unforeseen ident, which was nothing umon in this world. Apart from the spirit beasts or monsters, humans were at the top of the list to make this kind of disappearance happen. This was another reason Gale hated this world.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The brutality and the sheer callousness towards life. He almost got used to it.


    Whatever happened, they didn''t even care about sending out a message to the person''s family. Very few things could be crueller than that.


    Gale sighed. The frail girl still seemed like she was waiting for her father toe back. He couldn''t¡ªor better shouldn''t¡ªgive her false hope.


    ***


    Most of the journey carried on in silence. Xiaolin started reading the book after a while, while Gale found other things to keep himself interested. Well, he spent the rest of the time solving word puzzles, which was still tough even though his mastery of the nativenguage has increased exponentially over the years.


    He still wouldn''t be able to beat his senior brother or sister.


    As the carriage stopped, Vale was the first one to get out. Xiaolin and Gale followed right after.


    Fresh wind kissed Gale''s cheeks as he checked out his surroundings. The mountain with white cliffs stood like a guardian on the horizon as rich earthly Qi breathed in the air. Fields of green, yellow and golden held in the surroundings, most ready for reaping.


    Insects buzzed as the searing sun provided the much-needed heat in the chilly weather. Gale could get used to this. He liked the tranquillity here, even though he preferred the busy city life most of his life. He guessed he was at that time of his life now.


    "Uncle Feng, you can leave the horses near the house," Xiaolin told the wagoner. "We won''t stay here for long, so no need to prepare anything."


    Gale''s eyes perked up at the mention of the house and found the house and a barn about a hundred metres away, currently in no state of living. Hedges had outgrown all around the house as if to swallow it down. Only the thin line of the path before it remained somewhat distinctive, though full of green grass. It appeared the house had been out of care for some time.


    "So this was your house?" he asked, capturing the vastnd with his sight.


    "Is," Xiaolin corrected. Her mood seemed to have refreshed reaching here. "I don''t n on selling all of it."


    Gale nodded as it made sense.


    "Uncle Feng will take care of the horses and carriage," Xiaolin told him. "Come on, Senior. I''ll give you a quick tour of thend."


    Gale nodded and gestured to her to lead the way.


    "Where did Vale go?"


    "He should be around somewhere," Gale said. He concentrated and felt a tug on his spirit in the other direction where Vale ran off to. "Don''t worry about him. He''ll turn up in his time."


    The farnd wasn''t in any shape of farming. Well, that''s what happens when you don''t take care of it for over a year. Corn, rice and other grains had grown all over the ce on their own, as a dozen or so goats and cows huddled around, consuming the crops without restraints.


    Tall trees flourished in the far hillside, but more of them started to grow even in the farnd, as if to swallow thend in its wildlife. In another few years, no sign of this farm would survive.


    Gale found a few houses and farnd on the way. Well, mostly farnd full of crops ready for reaping. Thend owned by Xiaolin was by the hillside, and it seemed like a river wound its way just by the periphery of thend, which was nice.

 Chapter 7 007 Oppression (2)

    ?This area was full of Earthly Qi, mostly to do with low human density and mountain formations. Something like that was quite rare, but not unheard of. Nobody powerful enough harvested the earthly Qi, making the cultivation flourish. There should be betternd here to grow crops, where silver and gold rank crops grew. But all of that should be owned by some n or sect.


    Still, thend met most of Gale''s requirements. Well, it was quiet and peaceful. There were only a few families living nearby, which was a downside, but Gale couldn''t do anything about it. Then again, it''s not like hecked wealth. By only spending a little, he could help thisss a little.


    "What do you think?" Xiaolin asked, apparent worry and hope jittering her face.


    "How much of it do you own?" Gale asked, giving the out-of-care farm a long look.


    Xiaolin perked her brows at him. "All of it," she said. "All 36 acres ofnd, though I''m only ready to sell the north portion of thend."


    "36 acres," Gale repeated, turning towards her. Finding her nodding in confusion, he mused. "Looks like I miscalcted how wide an acre ofnd is."


    Xiaolin grew worried hearing him. "Does that mean . . ."


    "No," Gale said, "it''s just that I''m a bit surprised. I grew up in a cramped apartment, but finding now I could afford such a vastnd with just some pocket change made me feel . . . I don''t know what to feel about it, to be honest."


    Definitely not pride. He would have been if what happened to him didn''t.


    No point musing on the mistakes of the past. Gale turned his attention to thend again. He could practically open a small sect here if he wanted. And what grew rice? Or he could build an enormous pce and live like a king, full of vanity. Better, he could create a secretir like a Batcave.


    Not gonna lie, that does seem like something I want to do, but my days of fighting crime are over.


    "Senior Gale?" Xiaolin called, finding him lost in thought.


    Gale shook his head. "Yes, you''re saying?"


    Xiaolin bit her lips. "Do you want to go further?"


    "Yeah, sure. Show me thend you wanted to sell."


    That seemed to have brightened her mood. Xiaolin smiled brightly and looked behind to point out. "Do you see that scarecrow?" she asked, pointing at something that hardly resembled a scarecrow amid the hedges. "From there to all the way to that slope. A total of 12 acres, with 8 acres of fertilend."


    "That seemed like a lot ofnds," Gale muttered. "What do I even do with it?"


    "Why, farm, of course?" Xiaolin paused, biting her lips. "I''m sorry, senior, I didn''t mean it like that. I know farming is beneath you, it''s just--"


    "It''s alright," Gale said, dismissing her with a wave of his arm. "I didn''t mean it like that. And no; farming isn''t beneath me. It''s actually a lot better than what I''ve been doing beforeing here."


    "What is that?" Xiaolin finally let out a question out of curiosity. And for the sake of politeness, she added, "If you don''t mind me asking."


    Killing. A lot of killing. Gale, of course, didn''t say that out loud. He considered for a moment to answer. "Bing half the disciple my master wants me to be."


    Xiaolin blinked and nodded as if it made sense. "Well, at least, you''re not as useless as I am," she left the word in the air. Before Gale could ask anything, she followed up on the topic concerning thend. "Farming requires hard work, but that''s nothing to a practitioner of spirit Qi. Senior, you just need to be a bit patient to grow crops."


    "Well, it wouldn''t be as hard as taking care of a herb garden," Gale muttered. He didn''t know if it would help, but his master made him take care of the vilest herb garden for a few months for training.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You can grow somemon to rare herbs here," Xiaolin added promptly, as if it made thend more enticing for him to buy. "We had a small garden ofmon medicinal herbs, but with no one to take care of them, all of them were wasted. . ."


    She sighed, staring at the absolute waste of her farnd. Her fists clenched tightly in frustration.


    "You folks don''t have thend lease system here?" Gale couldn''t help but ask. "You know, an agreement where thendowner rents thend to someone else to farm in exchange for a portion of crops or whatever in the agreement?"


    "We have that here."


    "Then why haven''t you leased it to someone of your trust?"


    "They . . . they didn''t want to take thisnd as a lease," Xiaolin said with clenched jaws.


    Gale frowned as the matter cleared a little more to him. Since Xiaolin couldn''t sell thend even at a lower price, leasing would be twice as difficult.


    "I understand," Gale said.


    Xiaolin blinked and nodded.


    "Still, I''m surprised. Is there no one in the town with a functional spine to stand up to some entitled kid and his uncle or whatever?"


    "Who said there weren''t?" Xiaolin breathed heavily, evident indignation showing through her eyes. "But it took little to break a few spines of honest farmers."


    "I''m sorry, I should have guessed."


    "Uncle Shan¡ªmy father''s friend¡ªtook thend on a lease, but bad things happened to him shortly after. In the end, we decided to sell some portion of it. Uncle Shan was an Iron-Ranked practitioner, who was a soldier in his time. One night, he was beaten on the verge of bing a cripple for just trying to help me.


    "Most people who wanted to buy thend gave up after that. They weren''t spirit practitioners like you or Uncle Shan. They reached a boundary of cultivation for convenience, not to fight injustice. Later, a few showed signs when I dropped the price, but after a few cases of missing animals and burning crops, nobody dared to look this way anymore."


    Xiaolin paused and looked at him straight, collecting her thoughts, uncertain whether she made the right decision saying all this to Gale or not. If Gale got scared hearing all that, then she would have to look for another person to sell, which she might nevere across with the rumours being they were.


    "Senior, I should have mentioned all this before telling you about thend." Xiaolin looked down, ashamed.


    "Madam Wang already cleared some things to me," Gale added, which relieved Xiaolin somewhat.


    "She told me to talk to you about it properly and that Grandma Yushen will help . . ." Her voice trailed off. She cocked her head at him again with a hint of hope in her eyes.


    "Don''t worry, girl," Gale told her. "I haven''t fallen so low as to bend my knees to some arrogant snobs. I wouldn''t even be half the disciple of my master if I do that."


    "Thank you, senior." Xiaolin looked like she would start crying soon.


    "The only one who can stop me from buying thisnd is me."

 Chapter 8 008 Trouble (1)

    ?Xiaolin showed him around thend while also providing titbits of details about the valley and farming. Half an hour passed already, and Gale had enough of surveying.


    He hadn''t provided Xiaolin with any confirmation, but looking at the hope kindling in her eyes, he realised it wasn''t the right time to decide yet. He couldn''t really choose to build a home here out of pity. Thus, he needed to think everything through when his mind wasn''t clouded by sympathy.


    On the way, he found a few peach trees full of colourful fruits. Getting approval from thendowner, Gale plucked a couple of fruits from the tree. Wiping them clean on his cloth, he bit into the sweet peach, tossing the other one to Xiaolin.


    "Alright, let''s head back."


    They hadn''t moved for five minutes, as the protruding farm came into vision. After a little while, Gale frowned, peering straight at the house as if he could see from this far away. Actually, he could. After each metamorphosis, the practitioner''s body changes.


    Gale went through the process four times. Even though his Qi was suppressed, much of his bodily function remained, which included a gold ranker''s vision and senses.


    "Is something wrong?" Xiaolin asked.


    ? "Someone is making trouble," he told her. "Let''s go see."


    Xiaolin bit her lips and followed, probably thinking if that entitled Young Lord got the news of their visit already.


    "Don''t worry," Gale assured her, finding her in dismay. "If anything, I can deal with it."


    Gale hadn''t augmented his speed with Qi, but raised it a little, nevertheless, with his height and long strides, Xiaolin had trouble following. She wheezed after only a couple of minutes. That seemed terrible for someone who practised breathing exercises every day. Probably has something to do with her weak constitution.


    The problem that Gale detected was another practitioner, who noticed them too. He had already dealt with Uncle Feng¡ªthe wagoner, and now waiting to deal with them as well.


    Gale''s eyes turned vignt, finding it was an iron ranker. He gestured to Xiaolin to stand back after reaching there.


    "Who are you people?" said the rogue practitioner at that very moment. Of course, after checking out the threat level. Finding it was merely a copper ranker and a mortal, he didn''t tone down his arrogance. "If you know better, then fuck off from this daddy''s property at this very moment."


    He was a young man of Xiaolin''s age with sharp features. A traditional robe held his body as a sword hung loosely on his back. To reach iron rank at such a young age, he must be a gem in this urban region. An unjaded, uncut gem, to be sure.


    Gale couldn''t help but show disappointment, finding that the youth couldn''t manage to ovee the folly of youth yet. Well, that happens when you get superpowers before your brain develops.


    "Hey, are you deaf?" the youth snarled at Gale. His eyes lingered on Xiaolin shortly beforeing back to Gale again, as he could only detect signs of spirit art from him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Kid, learn to respect your elders," Gale said and crept to the Oldman, passed out near the gate of the house. A second inspection told him Uncle Feng wasn''t unconscious, nor were there any visible injuries on his body. The youth probably tried to scare him off with spirit suppression, but went a bit far. Well, it''s nothing serious. The Oldman would be well in an hour or so.


    "This old fool acted all impudent in front of this daddy," the young practitioner provided a loose excuse. "I barely used a speck of my power to show him his ce."


    "So you acted on an unarmed, innocent mortal?" Gale locked gazes with the youth.


    Gale brought a sk of water out of his void lock and held it to the old man''s mouth. "Drink."


    The youth was startled at first, but sneered shortly to show his superiority. "It is this lord''s kindness that I let him off easily," he said, puffing his chest high. "Impudent people like him don''t survive long in this world." He paused for a second to give Xiaolin a look and came back to Gale again. "Do you want to be impudent, too?"


    "Gosh, I was told I''m anti-climatic at trash-talking." Gale shook his head and stepped forward. "Kid, stop the act and call daddy. I don''t have time to teach everyone a lesson."


    "The gall!" the practitioner snarled as wild Qi snared in the surrounding area. It locked Xiaolin in her post as sweat dripped down from her face. Her legs started shaking as low whimpers escaped from her mouth.


    Gale, however, stood straight. He breathed out, and the pressure disappeared, though wild Qi still snared around the youth. Xiaolin panted. Her legs gave way when the pressure disappeared from on top of her. She skidded away a dozen metres on instinct, knowing she had no ce in the contest between practitioners.


    "Your aura is in disarray," Gale told the kid. "You should''ve prepared better for the advancement."


    "What do you know about iron advancement, copper?" the youth snorted. "I only need to use a quarter of my strength to put you down."


    Gale raised an eyebrow and then smiled. "Truly intimidating," he said in a mocking tone. Then he looked behind the youth. "But how''ll you deal with him?"


    Before the youth could react, a huge furry hound pouched on him from behind, tossing him out of the way. Well, Gale knew his buddy hadn''t used all his strength¡ªor better, most of his strength¡ªbut it was still a little more than just a toss. The impudent practitioner was flung away dozens of metres as his body disappeared deep into the undergrowth.


    Xiaolin''s eyes widened at the cute-looking dog that lost all its savagery and started rubbing its body against Gale''s legs as if asking for a reward for the deed.


    "Yes, yes, you''re the best," Gale told him, caressing his head.


    "Was he . . ." Xiaolin''s voice trailed off, as her eyes lingered on the undergrowth of crops.


    "Dead?" Gale shook his head. "Advancement to iron changes the body for good. It may not be as tough as iron, but a crash like that hardly puts anything other than a few bruises." He paused, eyeing the bush where the silhouette of the youth stood up, seeping with rage. "And it can hurt one''s ego pretty badly sometimes."

 Chapter 9 009 Trouble (2)

    ?The figure emerged out of the high bush with a lofty lunge, the silver sword glowering in his arm, ready to make a move. The youth hardly had any injuries, but the sheer arrogance he showed at first was reced by vignce as he peered at the dog next to Gale.


    Good, at least he had some sense, Gale thought. Let''s see if he makes it even more difficult for him or not.


    "Woof!"


    A vtile pressure crashed solely onto the young practitioner, hinting at what he got himself into.


    The youth gritted his teeth and stepped forward, and did something Gale hadn''t considered. The youth bowed at a perfect right angle, disyingplete deference. "Senior," he said, not lifting his head. "This junior has eyes, but he couldn''t see his own mistake."


    "Well, that was quick," Gale muttered. "See Vale, what a good headbutt can do? You need to start doing that before starting a conversation."


    "Senior, is there any way we can forget all these and talk this through?"


    Xiaolin blinked at the youth, who totally turned one-eighty in his approach. They could see the youth stealing nces at Vale.


    "So now you want to talk." Gale moved to the wooden veranda outside the house and sat down. Vale stood next to him, enjoying the caresses. "Alright, let''s start with who you are and why you''re here?"


    The youth lifted his head and considered the questions. "This ill-fated junior is called Shi Fan. As for what I''m doing here--" the youth probably considered shouting, ''is minding my business, you buffoon who only knows to bully junior with numbers''. Instead, he stated, "I was cycling in my humble shed in seclusion when suspicious individuals showed up in my ce and disturbed my training. The recent breakthrough may have caused a little impairment in my control. I acted on my impulses. I''m deeply sorry about that."


    Shi Fan''s phrases were full of respect and excuses, but he made a mistake there. Gale turned to Xiaolin. "He says this is his property. Do you have anything to say about that?"


    "That is wrong," Xiaolin said, trying hard to not offend the practitioner. "Senior, thisnd was owned by my father. I inherited it entirely aftering of age six months ago in his absence."


    Shi Fan''s exterior paled hearing her, and it turned only uglier, hearing the slow growling from the hound. It was directed right at him. He bent down again, further than before. "Senior, forgive this Junior''s insolence. I came across this ce under circumstances worse than now and found the natural earthly Qi nourishing to my body. It was presumptuous of me to call this my property. If you wish, this Shi will scuttle right at this very moment."


    Gale nuzzled his buddy as Vale stopped growling, much to Shi Fan''s relief. Gale couldn''t help but smile. He didn''t know which one of the two faces Shi Fan showed was fake. That was how brilliant his acting skills were. Or both could be fake.


    Well, at least the kid wasn''t half bad. He just made some unhealthy mistakes. Who was he to judge, considering his own mistakes were far graver than this?


    Still, he couldn''t just let this kid go. He needed to teach him some lessons, lest he take things for granted. It might be something small now, but if this kid grows to a Silver, gold or even higher ranker, the things he would take for granted would be worse.


    "You can calm down now, boy. Vale won''t bite you."


    "Thank you, senior. It''s your--"


    "And lose that formality. I can clearly see your respect is anything but sincere."


    Shi Fan was flustered. "Senior, I--"


    Gale waved his arm to silence him. "How long have you been living in this house? Tell me truthfully, Vale can detect the truth from the hearts of men."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Shi fan swallowed. "It will be three months at the end of this moon cycle."


    "Who put you on this? What was that kid''s name again, Han Xiao? Did he put you up for this?"


    "No one, senior. I came across this ce by happenstance. I''m not from this region and know no Han Xiao."


    "So you have no ill intent, save for the wrong you''ve done already?"


    "None." The boy shook his head heavily. "Senior, I merely wanted a quiet ce to rest and cycle."


    "Don''t we all," Gale sighed. "But I can''t look away from the fact that you''re living on someone else''s property for almost three months without their permission and decided to attack innocent bystanders on sight. This is not healthy behaviour."


    "I ask for forgiveness for this insolence." Shi Fan''s voice was just the right tone for apologising, as if he had practised this countless times already.


    "It''s not me who you should apologise to." Gale directed him towards Xiaolin, the owner of this ce.


    Shi Fan turned to Xiaolin and bowed with high respect. Truly, this kid would have been killing it if he was in showbiz on earth. "Sister, I didn''t know this ce had any owners. I went to the mountains for exploration and needed some ce to rest. I thought this ce was abandoned and decided nobody would care if I reside inside for some time. I have ruined none of your property, but if it''s remuneration, you ask, I''ll provide you with a handsome number. Either way, forgive this brother for crashing into your ce without consent."


    "No, no," Xiaolin almost jolted from her ce, finding a practitioner apologising to her, an iron ranker at that. "There''s no need to apologise. I . . ."


    "Talking about remuneration," Gale intoned. "You will provide her with a good sum, right this moment. You''ve been here for three months, hmm. We haven''t checked for any damage. Give or take, give her 30 iron marks for each month. A total of 90 marks. As for Uncle Feng, apologise to him too and offer something."


    Shi Fan groaned after hearing that, but exchanging a look with which the furry dog, he reconsidered. "Senior, 90 marks for a ce like this, seems a bit excessive."


    "You should''ve thought that before attacking innocent people. Now, apologise to Uncle Feng."


    "I''m deeply ashamed, Uncle Feng. I only wanted to scare you away, but didn''t think you''d still stand in the way. Either way, I''m deeply ashamed that I used my superior strength on you. I apologise for my impudence."


    Well, look at that. How many practitioners apologise to mortal men for their faults? Moreover, this time, it felt more genuine.


    Gale turned to Vale, who nodded.


    Alright, that''s passable behaviour, he decided.


    _____


    Giveaway power stones,ments and reviews if you want more of this cosy, slice-of-life, cultivation tale. Thank you.

 Chapter 10 010 Thief (1)

    ?"Senior, Miss, please wait outside for a moment. The house isn''t ready to treat guests. I''ll prepare the drawing room in two minutes."


    Leaving those words, Shi Fan scurried into the house at superhuman speed. Xiaolin gave Gale a look as if asking whether this fellow could be trusted.


    Gale smiled and crept into the room, disregarding Shi Fan''s request. Vale followed while Xiaolin looked conflicted about entering her own home. "Come along."


    The house wasn''t big, or anything extravagant, but it had enough space to let a family of four get along with no trouble. As Shi Fan pointed out, the interior wasn''t cleaned, though noyer of dust covered the floor or any spider webs in the walls. It was marginally cleaned with lots of stuff spread all around, covered by nkets.


    Xiaolin perked her head at those unexpected articles that she hadn''t left behind. She pulled one of the nkets to find arge bag. A few more enquiries exined that most of the contents were bags full of unknown content.


    Other than that, there was a heavy feeling in the house. Not your scary horror house type of heaviness, but a heaviness in spirituality. Gale found the reason for it instantly, merely turning to the corridor where he found the youth, hurrying.


    "Ahh, Senior!" Shi Fan stammered, currently in the position of moving a huge chunk of crystallised stone, which should weigh no less than a ton. Only with his superior strength could he manage this feat. There were a few more of those stones, though none of them were resonating as much as the enormous boulder-sized one.


    Xiaolin''s eyes widened at the sight, while Gale''s grew interested, knowing exactly what the crystallised stone was.


    "My man Shi Fan," he said, half amused, half serious, "please tell me you have not robbed some wealthy sect."


    Shi Fan started to sweat profoundly. His lips parted to say something as his mind rushed to provide a passable excuse to get out of this situation. It would not be easy. Shi Fan knew exactly how much of a shit he got himself into.


    Gale smiled and turned to the girl. "Xiaolin, please get out of the house," he told her. "Also, tell Uncle Feng not to enter, either. These pure crystals can cause toxicity to normal people in their mere presence."


    Xiaolin went from curious to horrified in the matter of a blink of an eye, as she scurried out of the house in one go. Shi Fan couldn''t remain in the position of lifting the Pure crystal for longer. He sighed audibly and put the huge chunk of pure crystal stone, better termed pure crystal boulder, next to him.


    Gale turned to Shi Fan, who calmed down on the outside. "You really surprised me here. The amount of pure essence it contained . . . If words get out, it can create a bloodbath in this valley."


    Shi Fan breathed calmly, peering at Vale, who stood nonchntly next to Gale as if he cared nothing.


    "Are you still evaluating the sess of killing me and my dog?"


    "Senior, who are you?"


    "Oh, I haven''t introduced myself. You can call me Gale, and this is my buddy, Vale. Say hello, Vale."


    "Woof!"


    "I didn''t know dogs could be aware like that," Shi Fan muttered, looking at the intelligible eyes of Vale.


    "You don''t know many things, but that''s off-topic for now. Tell me who you robbed."


    "I robbed no one!" This time, the answer came too fast. "All this belonged to my master."


    "So you robbed your master?"


    "No," Shi Fan shouted. "I didn''t."


    "So you''re telling me your master threw you this amount of wealth with no spatial equipment so that you''ll get into trouble and get killed?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Shi Fan went silent at his words.


    "That could happen," Gale said thoughtfully. He almost apuded, moving next to Shi Fan "Did you sleep with his daughter or something?"


    "No, Gods! My master never married."


    "Fellow disciple then?" Gale smirked.


    Shi Fan was silent, staring at him as if he didn''t know how to answer.


    "Robbing your master, ahh that''s something I would approve of," Gale said, turning to Vale. "Ahh, that brings back memories."


    "My master is dead," Shi Fan said.


    Gale blinked and turned to Vale, who rubbed against his leg affectionately. "I''m sorry for your loss," he said, reassuringly squeezing Shi Fan''s shoulder.


    Shi Fan nodded and stared straight into his eyes. "You don''t want Pure spirit crystals?" his voice seemed like wedging out of his throat, afraid Gale would take his treasures, or even if he couldn''t, he woulde with more menter.


    "That thing is of no use to me," Gale assured. "And even if it were, I wouldn''t steal your stuff unless you grieved me badly."


    Shi Fan almost sighed in relief. Almost because Gale wasn''t finished yet.


    "Like if you stole my lunch."


    Shi Fan''s mouth hung open for several seconds. "Senior, I haven''t stolen your lunch," he assured seriously.


    "Not yet, you haven''t."


    "Who are you really, Senior?" Shi Fan asked. "You suppressed my Qi much like the way my master does. It didn''t feel like you used much Qi at all, yet you suppressed my Qi."


    "Oh, you noticed that?" Gale asked, his voice genuinely curious. He hadn''t thought much about the terrible control you showed, but it seemed there was more than what meets the eye.


    "Barely." Shi Fan nodded. "Then there''s your dog . . . I have no words to describe . . . him? I literally can''t feel how strong he is."


    "Can you feel how strong I''m?" Gale smirked.


    Shi Fan stared at him silently. After several seconds, he repeated the question. "Senior, who are you really?"


    Gale sighed. "I''m someone who thinks too much of himself," he said. "I guess thates with the foolishness of youth. Words of advice, Boyo. Never take yourself too seriously."


    "Um, thank you?" He seemed uncertain if it was advice or not.


    "Well, at least you''re not a total imbecile," Gale said, inspecting the house. "The Ward is almost adequate. We don''t see youths interested in scripts nowadays." Now Gale was talking like he was a hundred years old, which might have given Shi Fan the wrong idea.

 Chapter 11 011 Thief (2)

    ?Shi Fanughed dryly. If there were any fault in the warding, then someone else would have appeared here already and stolen all the stuff. You can''t really use Pure crystal without protocol. The precious thing radiates a specific spirituality all the time.


    A gold ranker could recognise the radiation from afar, though there were hardly any gold rankers in this unremarkable valley. Still, it was a recipe for disaster, as wild beasts tend to get attracted to this special radiation.


    "Senior, how did you suppress my Qi?" After being relieved about his stuff, he seemed genuinely curious about the matter.


    "Like this." Gale flicked his finger.


    "Was it really that easy?"


    "Boyo, I don''t know if your master had told you, but your control is terrible."


    "I''ll work extra hard." Despite saying that, the youth looked hurt at the blunt criticism.


    "Of course you would," Gale breathed in. "But first, take care of that pure crystal and your stuff and rpense the youngdy for what she deserves. Also, please be a little extra careful, if not for your own sake, but for others."


    Gale hurried on the way out along with Vale, leaving those words.


    "Thank you, Senior," Shi Fan said, bowing deeply like before, but it felt more genuine than before. "I''ll be careful."


    ***


    Gale found Xiaolin or Uncle Feng nowhere near the house. They moved to the carriage, which rested near the road a couple of hundred metres away. I guess the toxicity of Pure crystal scared her more than I realised.


    Well, if the house wasn''t warded to ground all the spiritual radiation, her fear would be ounted for. Even though pure crystals were filled with the purest essence nature could produce, they were still toxic to anyone under the Iron Rank. Only the transformed Iron body could protect against such radiation.


    As for the benefit the crystals could produce, it was astronomical. Especially for iron and silver rankers. It could even make the transition to gold a lot easier. What it does is activate all the cells of the body to synthesise worldly energy, which in term increases the cycling process, efficiency rate, and recovery rate.


    Meaning, an iron ranker would almost certainly have the efficiency of a Gold Ranker in sucking worldly energy and synthesising them into spirit Qi in that hyperactive cellr state. With that pure crystal boulder, one could simply buy this entire valley with extra marks to spare.


    "Senior," Xiaolin called, "is everything alright?"


    Gale shook his head. "Do you want to talk in private?"


    Xiaolin frowned and gazed at Uncle Feng. She expressed a few words of reassurance and crept along with Gale further away.


    "The case is like this--" Gale collected his thoughts and expressed in the fewest words it was possible and still beprehensible. "--Shi Fan lost his master recently and probably took everything of his master''s legacy with him here in fear of others taking advantage of him. The total wealth was astronomical enough for many in this valley and outside to move against him."


    Xiaolin was bewildered and lost for words. She swallowed a breath, giving her house a look. "Senior, why are you telling me all this? I''m but a mortal. This case seems too great for me to even be aware of it."


    "Well, because this is yournd. You never know, if words get out and Shi Fan remained to stay here, you might get swayed along."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Xiaolin''s expression bristled with anxiety hearing him out. Evidently, all this trouble was too much for a mortal girl to shoulder. "Senior, what should I do?"


    "Well, if all remained in secrecy, then nothing would go wrong and you can get a high lodging fee from him, though I don''t think he''ll remain here for long. After all, too many people are aware of it to let it remain a secret."


    "It would be best if he doesn''t remain here," Xiaolin said, nodding.


    After a few minutes, Shi Fan got out of the house a pouch in hand, looking rather pensive. He handed the pouch to Xiaolin as it made a little chime on transferring hands.


    "There are two hundred iron marks inside for all the inconvenience," he said. "Sister, I will be d if you keep the matter of all this to yourself."


    "Two hundred marks," Xiaolin muttered, holding the pouch in uncertainty. "That''s too much."


    "Take it," Shi Fan said. "I know the marks are too little to change fate, but I''m sure they would help."


    "So, when are you going to leave?"


    Shi Fan took a deep breath. "Soon," he said, though he seemed rtively uncertain about his choices. Setting up the ward again in a new ce would take time, a couple of days to a week, ording to the mastery of scripts. Then there was the annoyance and danger of moving treasures. "A spatial storage device would make things a lot easier."


    As he said that, his eyes turned to Gale. He saw Gale bringing water out of thin air, which was only possible with a spatial device.


    "Senior, if you have one to spare, can you sell it to me? Even lending it for a time would be great."


    "I don''t have one that I can spare." Gale shook his head and drew his sleeve to show a ck-hole mark. His Void-lock mark. "It''s not a device, but a Fate-lock, linked to only me."


    Shi Fan sighed pessimistically. In the end, spatial devices are one of the rarest creations of civilization. The safest way of constructing such devices was lost through the passage of time, rendering all the avable ones astronomically expensive and rare to get a hand on. Despite having the wealth to buy one, Shi Fan would have to wait a long time to get a stable one as people don''t tend to sell such devices a lot.


    Well, why will they? A spatial device gave a definite advantage in carrying out heavy and questionable stuff from one ce to another with no trouble. Just pour stuff in once, and forget about it until you need them.


    That reminds me, my void lock is almost full. There''s too much useless stuff inside. I need to re-examine all of them soon.


    "It looks like I have to do it the hard way again." Shi Fan bowed onest time and left.


    How did he even manage to get all this stuff without notice? That question crept into his mind, but Shi Fan was already in the house to get an answer. He probably had help.


    "Alright, Xiaolin, it seems our tour is ending if you have nothing else to show me."


    ______


    Giveaway powerstones,ments and leave a review if you like the story . . . Thank you.

 Chapter 12 012 Trouble (1)

    ?Xiaolin was more uneasy on the way back than when they came. Along with her initial worries and what she encountered had troubled her more than she deserved. Moreover, Gale hadn''t given her any green signal about the purchase.


    His mind was still hovering over contemtion. Yes, buying thend wouldn''t even cost a dent in his wealth, but buying thend meant he would be tied down to this ce. It would truly be retirement, not some rest.


    Gale still wasn''t sure about retirement. He still wanted to do more. If he kept at the adventurer''s life, he would probably die in the next two decades. If not from an outside threat, then it would be the cosmic imbnce growing inside him. But he still wanted to do more.


    Gale doesn''t want to die, like any normal human being. If he gave up, he would probably live about a hundred more years or more, still half of the natural life span of any gold ranker. Gold rankers that cultivate life energy could live up to five hundred years with no issues, while for any normal gold ranker, three hundred years were easy enough.


    ''Well, a hundred years is still a long time,'' Gale muttered. Not to mention he was calcting the time of this world. In earth years that would be close to 140 years. That should be a long enough time to find a cure. Well, even if he couldn''t, his master or fellow disciples would. Probably.


    "Ah, senior?"


    "Hmm, yes?" Gale turned towards Xiaolin, who was caressing vale gently the whole time they were on the carriage. The visit hadn''t gone the way she hoped it would, but she was still hopeful about it.


    "What do you think?" She asked, sounding eager. "About thend, I mean?"


    Gale thought for a moment. "I can''t give you a definite answer without knowing the whole thing," he told her. "Nobody can threaten me to do anything, but you have to convince me first. I need to know theplete story first to get into this, Xiaolin."


    "Theplete story?"


    Gale nodded. "How you ended up like this," he said. "I can already piece together a summary, but I want to hear more from you." Finding the girl silent, he added, "If you like."


    Xiaolin sighed. "It''s not really a secret," she said. "If you ask anyone in the town, they would fill you up with all sorts of rumours. It happened about two years ago when a noble son came to our house after adventuring in the wild mountains. He asked my father for my hand in marriage."


    "That was . . ."


    "Han Xiao," Xiaolin answered. "The Mayor''s nephew. He presented himself as if he was doing a big favour to me and to my family. Maybe he did, with me being incapable of practising spiritual arts. However, my father opposed Han Xiao''s proposal, as there were nasty rumours about Han Xiao. . . ."


    Xiaolin recounted her story as Gale listened attentively. After Xiaolin''s father denied Han Xiao, the noble son didn''t take it easy. Well, nobles hardly take anything easy that they thought belonged to them.


    Han Xiao and a few of his gang members made things difficult for her family. At first, it started with small things, but seeing her father''s non-tolerance against all this bullying, Han Xiao came in harder.


    The slight liking had grown into an infatuation over the time he was denied.


    It needed to be mentioned that Xiaolin''s father was a retired soldier and once rose to the rank of sergeant in the king''s army. He had enough confidence with the connections he made he wouldn''t have to leave his daughter to such a life. Being the mistress of some terrible young master who would throw her away on a whim just as he took a liking on a whim.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Unfortunately, within a couple of months, he found no one was ready to purchase grains from him in the town. The Wang family helped, but they couldn''t really buy all of it. However, he didn''t bend. Even when his crops were burned in the middle of the night.


    In the end, he decided to go to the capital, leaving his daughter in the care of the Wang Family, intending to sell his grains as well as solve this problem once and for all.


    He never returned from his journey to the capital.


    Xiaolin had to live with the Wang family from then on. Ignoring all sorts of trouble Han Xiao would bring, it''s not really safe for a lone girl like her to live alone. So she moved to the Wang Family, where Grandma Wang instructed her on spirit arts and Xiaolin helped run all sorts of errands.


    Though they weren''t any adaptation ceremonies, Grandma Wang or Wang Li treated her like a family.


    But it did not solve the problem. Han Xiao never budged from his point. He acted like Xiaolin''s father agreed to their union before going missing, and acted like he owned her or something. He never really wanted to marry her, and that was showing up well after her father''s absence.


    Only with the presence of Grandma Wang, Han Xiao didn''t try anything drastic.


    Xiaolin didn''t go deep into how much harder her life had been, but Gale got the point. It wasn''t really anything unique. Gale could find cases like hers all over the world, but that didn''t mean the struggle wasn''t real.


    The sheer helplessness of unknowing whether or not your loved ones were even alive. That''s brutal. It wouldn''t be crueller than that. Xiaolin still waited for her father to return, despite knowing in the back of her mind, it was unlikely.


    "And I''ve been working uselessly in the Inn since then," Xiaolin said pessimistically. "I''m apletely useless daughter. Useless in practising spirit, useless in everything else. . . ."


    Vale rubbed his head soothingly on herp, trying to ease her pain. The intelligent eyes of the hound turned to Gale as if asking him to do something about it. Vale seemed to like her very much, even though they only met a day earlier.


    "Anyway, senior," Xiaolin said, shrugging away her pain. "You don''t have to buy thend just because you feel pity for me. I owe that to Grandma Wang and elder sister Wang Li already."


    Gale wasn''t sure what look he was giving, so he decided to turn the topic around. "You mentioned you''re incapable of practising spirit art?"


    "Yes," Xiaolin bit her lips. "There''s something wrong with my meridians. I can''t umte Qi for a longer period. Anything I cultivate gets sucked out of my body within a month or two, causing me to remain in the initiate rank even after six years of practice."


    Gale frowned. All these broken or sealed meridian talks wereplete horseshit to him. Well, they were real, like how magic was in this world, but meridians were nothing but the most efficient imaginary ways energy travels through the body.


    You simply couldn''t have a problem with an imaginary thing.


    That means there''s something wrong with her constitution.

 Chapter 13 013 Problem (2)

    ?That means there''s something wrong with her constitution.


    "Energy getting sucked away from the body, that''s something I''m familiar with," Gale murmured. His own case was somewhat simr to that.


    As Gale wasn''t a native to this world, his physical body and maybe even his psyche differed from the native. Basically, his body was inferior to the bodies of the native people who went through all sorts of evolutions through the ages, supernatural or natural.


    But he shrugged all those inferiorities off after he advanced to the iron rank where his body went throughmutative transformations. It took Gale almost two years. Both of them seemed to have practised spirit arts for around the same time¡ªsix years¡ªyet Xiaolin didn''t seem to make any progress.


    True, he had many resources and ways Xiaolin probably didn''t have ess to, but six years was a long time to remain in the initiate rank if one practise regrly.


    "Were there anyplications with your birth?"


    "I had a weak constitution and remember being weak and skinny as a young child. But medications solved most of them before I was a teen. Onlyter, after practising Spirit arts, did I find out there''s another problem."


    Gale nodded. All he could feel of her was a thin air of spirituality that one could umte even without practising spirit arts.


    "If you don''t mind," he asked, "I would like to check. I''m not really a physician, but your case is something I''m familiar with."


    Xiaolin perked her head, but no hopes kindled in her eyes. She nodded, as Gale hadn''t treated her wrongly in any way.


    "Give me your hand," he suggested.


    Taking her palm into his palm, Gale braced himself, sucking in a slow breath. This was going to be a delicate business. He closed his eyes and ran his spirit sense through her being quietly. This was something only the gold rankers and very few specific silver rankers were capable of.


    He could detect her internal or external organs through this process if he liked, but what he was trying was gazing up at the way she practised spirit arts. The path at which the worldly energy travelled through her body and condensed into Qi.


    An invisible aura washed over Xiaolin as she jolted.


    "Calm down, take a deep breath," Gale instructed.


    Xiaolin breathed in slowly. "It was like when my father brought me to the capital to see a physician. He did something like this, even though it was more . . . violent. I don''t know if ''violent'' is the word to describe it, as it didn''t harm me."


    "It''s natural to feel like that." Gale opened up about his eyes. "Every creature had a natural aura, a psyche about them. Think of it as a personal space that only belonged to you. When I or that physician tried to inspect it, you intuitively felt like your personal space was being vited. Gauging someone''s rank through some technique is like that too, though it was more on the eptable level. There are no ways around it."


    "Aura, I thought only practitioners had that."


    "Practitioners have it more than normal people, but everyone has them." Gale paused for a moment, trying toe up with an example. "Can you exin how you know someone is staring at you without looking at them?"


    "That''s aura?"


    Gale nodded and moved on with his study. It was really hard to find the exact imaginary paths, even though they tend to go the same way on identical creatures. What Gale needed to look for was the residual energy left behind¡ªIt should have been quite impossible, but Gale had no trouble finding the way.


    It seemed the years of practice had left behind more than just a few signs. There were literally marks. Miles of intricate pathways crudely carved through her body and seemed to have fused with her.


    Gale could imagine how much effort she put in there just feeling them.


    After a little while, he managed to find the way the Qi dispersed from her body. It was all over the ce. She was literally like a balloon with a thousand nano punctures.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You mentioned visiting a physician? When was that?"


    "Four, five years ago," she answered. "I was twelve at the time. Father first thought I didn''t have the talent in spirit arts, butter he found out my Qi was diminishing over time. The faster the more I umted."


    "Hmm," Gale sounded curious. "What did the physician say?"


    "That my meridians are faulty. I can''t umte Qi. He said the problem would be solved as I rank up, but even advancing to copper would be difficult. He prescribed many medications, but nothing helped."


    "Well, I have no medication for you." Gale finished his inspection and shrugged. "Your doctor was right about one thing. The problem will diminish as you rank up. At Iron, you probably won''t feel it."


    But there''s a big barrier between copper and iron. It was where real practitioners were filtered out of the dregs. Yet, Xiaolin couldn''t even reach the copper rank. Her problem was far more terrible than what Gale went through, and theck of resources in this rural area rendered her useless in spirit arts.


    Gale could find more than a couple of ways to remedy those. Sadly, Xiaolin probably couldn''t afford any of those. ''If I make an artificial fate-lock just to dismiss the effect . . .''


    "Grandma Wang mentioned the same thing," Xiaolin said. "Maybe If I sell thend and umte enough spirit marks, it won''t be this hard."


    Gale shook his head. "A normal body has a specific speed of absorbing energy, and that won''t increase just because you have more spirit marks. There''s a method to spirit arts after all, if not anyone can be a master."


    Xiaolin''s face went ashen after hearing him. She was probably aware that her body would dismiss Qi faster the more she umted them.


    "That boulder you saw with Shi Fan could help."


    Xiaolin''s spirit perked up. "But didn''t you say it causes toxicity, senior?"


    "It does, but it also helps fasten the speed at which one umtes spirit energy. Why else do you think Shi Fan was at iron rank at your age?"


    "He''s Iron?" Xiaolin''s eyes went wide as she turned towards Vale in herp. The normal-looking dog that thrashed an iron ranker like nothing.


    "I know he''s special." Gale smiled.


    "That crystal," Xiaolin asked, "how much does it cost?"


    "That''s really a bad idea. Just getting in contact with its radiation will kill you within a week or two. As for absorbing it . . ." Gale shook his head, indicating it was a terrible idea.


    Xiaolin''s shoulder slumped again.


    Gale felt bad because of the slip of his tongue. He had less life-threatening ways to share, but now was not the time. He needed to be sure first, lest he give her false hope yet again.


    "The universe is vast. There are solutions to every problem," Gale told her, though it was intended for both of them.


    ___________


    A big thank you to Daoistwaterdrop for the kind words in the review, unfortunately, it got deleted by the algorithm. If anyone would like to review, please refrain from using any curse words. Even as simple words like ''Ass'', ''Shit'', ''harem'', ''Pa treon'' some simr other tform names, etc the review will be deleted.


    Give away a few power stones, or leave behind ments and review if you like this book.

 Chapter 14 014 Solution (1)

    ?It was already afternoon when they reached Wang''s inn. It was nice and quiet as Gale remembered, though there seemed to be a stillness present.


    As they got off the carriage, Gale found a furious man opening the gate by kicking it violently. If not for the enhancement scripts put together in them, the gate would have broken with the force applied by the man, whose rank seemed to hover in the Iron rank.


    The practitioner threw a nce in their direction and momentarily paused at Xiaolin before he went on his way.


    Gale perked an eyebrow. "Who was that?"


    "Gu Dong. Elder sister Wang Li''s husband."


    "She hadn''t changed her surname." Gale blinked as realisation shed in his eyes. "The Inn is owned by Wang Li''s maternal family?"


    The answer was obvious. What surprised him was that Wang Li hadn''t changed her surname after the marriage, meaning it was the husband that married into the Wang Family, not the other way around.


    Well, it was not that rare. This mostly happens to unaffiliated practitioners when they marry into a n. It was also a way to tie down a talented practitioner into your n. But that didn''t seem to be the case here.


    "Yes," Xiaolin said as they crept inside. "This ce is very dear to Grandma Wang. While most people of the Wang family left for better ces over the years, she only remained, until Elder Sister Wang Li came back a few years ago."


    "You mentioned Grandma Wang a lot of times," Gale murmured. "Looks like I have to meet her soon."


    "I''m sure she would like that, too."


    * * *


    Gale returned to his room, washed, and changed into trousers and a shirt which he was morefortable with. It would look odd when most people wear thick robes, which are the traditional clothing of the eastern domain, but Gale cared little about that. His face was already a giveaway.


    After throwing Vale the leftover raw meats, which were preserved inside the void lock, he came down for lunch. The ground floor remained silent. Bothering no one, Gale sat in a corner and started stirring his foot under the table.


    There were no other customers other than him. Well, there had been a few before, not enough to make the business profitable, but there were enough to make it seem like an inn.


    With nothing to do, Gale calcted how profitable this inn was. He had little information to calcte, but he could roughly guess the monthly profit hardly goes over a couple of thousand iron marks. Most of the business seemed toe from liquor as few touristse to this town, lest lodge here.


    Gale had seen another inn on the way in better shape than this. Nevertheless, he had noints about this one.


    The sound of mild footsteps broke Gale out of contemtion as he turned to find a cute-looking little boy at the age of two walking into the hall. The boy halted at the very sight of him, blinking at the foreign face.


    Gale smiled and waved his hand at the boy. "Come here."


    The boy just stared at him, unmoving. Then he turned and went back the way he came from. Gale smiled and shook his head.


    A few secondster, Xiaolin came in, carrying the same boy with her. The little boy peeked at Gale, and finding the foreigner staring at him, he looked away instantly, snuggling into Xiaolin''s embrace.


    "Senior, I''ll go prepare your meal," Xiaolin said, finding him sitting idly. She turned to the boy. "Rong''er, will you stay here like a good boy?"


    The little boy shook his head heavily, peeking another look of Gale.


    "He''s not good with new people."


    Gale could see that. However, Xiaolin didn''t have to leave Rong''er anymore as the little boy''s mother crept into the hall. Wang Li had a tired look on her face as she took Rong''er from Xiaolin. She seemed disturbed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "How did your visit go?" She asked.


    "Good," Gale answered. "There was a slight issue, but nothing to note of."


    "So, are you ready for the purchase?"


    Gale''s eyes drifted towards Xiaolin whose intention was hovering between leaving to prepare the meal and stay right where she was and listen. Well, Gale couldn''t me her. Smiling slightly, he nodded.


    "Looks like I''ll be a farmer in theing season," he joked.


    "Senior . . ." Xiaolin''s voice trailed off, full of emotions.


    "I know nothing of how the paperwork works," he said. "How long do you think it will take?"


    Even though Gale was almost clueless about this stuff, he was aware stuff like this takes a lot of time. Even though most of the people of this world are superhuman in some way, paperwork takes its time.


    "About a week at most if you prepare fast," Wang Li answered. "Xiaolin, disclose this to Grandma. She will prepare everything needed. It would be easier with her at the mayor''s office. Also, knowing her, she will probably want to meet you, Mr Gale."


    Gale had no objection to that. After a slight exchange, Xiaolin went over to bring the meals.


    "Looks like I have fixed myself with a lot of work," Gale murmured and started counting his fingers. Build a house. Clean the unweing farm. Make an artificial fate-lock that works like a Qi storage.


    For the first two, Gale could get it done spending some extra money, but he wanted to do most of it himself. At least building the house. As for the matter of artificial Fate-lock, that was a simple task, though he wasn''t sure it would work.


    He wasn''t even sure how many trials and errors he had to get through to make it work, but still, the work would be worthwhile. ''Well, I don''t have to stay bored.''


    "Madam Wang, what kind of practice chamber does your inn have?"


    Wang Li lifted her head to regard him. "The normal kind for cycling and there are a couple for alchemy which hadn''t been put to use for months."


    "None for craft and script?" Gale frowned.


    "There aren''t any script artists around. As for any crafter or artisan thates, they tend to go for the Artisans'' guild, as their work needs a lot of space and tools."


    "There''s an artisan guild." Gale took a mental note to remind himself to look. "I guess it will make things easier when I need to build the house."


    She paused for a second. "Mr Gale, are you some crafter?"


    "I have some skills," he admitted. "I would need the alchemy chamber for the evening."


    The key feature of the alchemy chamber was that it kept all the things inside and protected the infrastructure from any sudden explosion. Yeah, those tend to happen pretty easily and frequently.


    Gale only needed that. As for the tools, he had everything he needed inside the void-lock.


    "What do you want to make?" Wang Li asked, curious.


    "Just some idle experiment."

 Chapter 15 015 Solution (2)

    ?Gale didn''t have a good foundation in script-writing, but he knew something many master-level artisans don''t. The script for creating an artificial fate-lock was one of them.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t creating any general, but something that works like the storage of Qi. Usually, practitioners yed the part of storing the Qi, while the fate-lock gives some useful abilities. That''s the only use of fate-lock from ancient times.


    Gale worked to reverse the process today.


    To get his desired result, Gale wanted to carve the scripts on a gemheart. Sadly, gemhearts were something Gale has limited ess to. Only practitioners above Gold rank produce gemhearts. Simply by that fact, one can imagine how extravagant it was to use a gemheart.


    ''I should have looked for the gemheart stash before leaving,'' he regretted. And with that, Gale had to abandon his n on using the three gemheart cores he had with him.


    Besides, gemhearts areplicated things left behind after the transcendent level practitioner deceased. Gale didn''t have much experience dealing with suchplications. Not to mention Gemheart for a simple thing, as a Qi battery was a waste.


    He worked on beast cores. Non-attributed purified beast cores to be specific. Gale didn''t want anyplications to appear on Xiaolin''s body after all.


    Gale spent almost the entire night on that. Turns out the process of creating Qi storage was easy. Gale wasn''t the first one to think of something like this. There were many weirdos who believed having more Qi was the way to break through to gemheart rank.


    If more Qi made one Gemheart rank powerhouse, Gale would''ve four Qi batteries as his four Fate-locks. As far as Gale was concerned, having a foreign core would only oveplicate the process of advancement.


    Still, having a single fate-lock to have spare Qi didn''t seem like a bad idea.


    Gale bit his lips hard, considering it. At each rank of advancement from Copper, a practitioner could assimte with an ancient power. These were called fate-lock.


    Gale had three fate-locks: first was the void storage; the second was a Guardian emblem that he got from bonding Vale; and the third one was Stormrider, an ancient spear that he won in an ancient ruin.


    His fourth lock was empty. Gale got infected by the corruption right after he advanced to Gold. He didn''t have the time or luxury to assimte the fourth fate-lock after that.


    Considering how most of his Qi and the anklet were busy suppressing the corruption, a second source of Qi didn''t seem like a bad idea. True, he would never have that amount of connection with the second set of Qi like his own, but it should be enough to let him exert gold-level power.


    "Why the hell Master didn''t think of this?" A question appeared on his mind as Gale frowned.


    No, it would be wrong to think his master hadn''t thought of this. He was a Grandmaster-level artisan, a sage, and one of the earlier developers of artificial fate-locks. Cheap ideas like these were nothing.


    Well, his master was busy most of the time, so that probably slipped out of his head. Or perhaps he doesn''t love me as much as my senior brother and sister.


    ''Yeah, that must be it.''


    Maybe he would care about his poor disciple more after he returned to his pce. Gale smirked at that thought and proceeded to work.


    Most storage fate-locks were made of beast core, as Gemhearts were almost impossible to get by. Unlike humans, most beasts condense a core around the iron level, though they are highly inferior to gemhearts.


    Gale had over a thousand of such beast cores, so he didn''t cheap out to experiment, as this might provide a way for him as well.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As the night went away and the sun peeked in the mountains, Gale had half a dozen hideous-looking fate-locks ready. Four of them were unstable and should be better used as bombs after some updates in the scripts.


    As for the other two, they were the exact items Gale wanted to make. Turns out a non-attribute core doesn''t make it non-vtile. Another thing I should have remembered if my foundation in scripting was done correctly.


    The easiest part was done. The hard part would be assimting it into Xiaolin''s body. Truth be told, Gale wasn''t that confident about this. The poor girl wasn''t even copper. Fusing with a fate-lock might not be the greatest of ideas.


    With a thought, Gale stored all the items and came out of the chamber. The sun barely rose as the corridor loomed in the darkness. Even with his superior senses, Gale could barely make out the way.


    Scripting was exhausting work, as it needed both mental and spiritual energy in abundance. Gale hadyered thousands of intricate scripts into the cores to make it work, making him tired as hell.


    Hmm, I didn''t get this tired after work before. Well, I haven''t been cycling or even meditating for over a month now.


    With sagged shoulders, Gale carried himself into his room and forced himself into deep sleep after reminding Vale to wake him up before he gets too deep into it.


    A couple of hours of deep sleep would be enough to charge his spirit.


    ***


    Vale woke him up around the three-hour mark of deep sleep, and as Gale had hoped, no sign of exhaustion could be seen in his figure. Still, he needed to meditate and break the wrong attitudes he was gravitating towards.


    If this went on, he would probably be useless in no time.


    Gale''s eyes drifted towards the upper floor where the practice chambers were. A closed-door meditation or cycling held little attraction to Gale, not that the chambers were at fault even though they were inferior. He never really liked close-door practice to be fair.


    That reminded him of the calm pond by the garden¡ªthat seemed like the proper ce for him to meditate. With his renewed spirit, Gale proceeded out of the Inn.


    People were already busy with their work. He peeked into the kitchen to find Grandma Lu watching over the whole thing inside, where a few more washed the floor and tables of the dining room.


    Upon reaching the ground floor, Gale found there were a few figures already present, seated in lotus positions in meditative poses. Gale spotted Xiaolin in one corner, meditating near an old crone who kept most of her ck hair intact even at her age. She watched over the boys and girls, sitting in a rocking chair. Her fingers were working in mechanical efficiency on the sweater she was stitching.


    That should be Grandma Wang¡ªthe one Xiaolin talks about so much. She sensed his presence the moment he appeared and threw him a look, but didn''t converse. It wasn''t the time for that yet.


    Thinking that, Gale sat near the edge of the pond and proceeded to meditate. Vale sat beside him in his ever guardian pose.


    ____________


    you have extra time to spare, leave a review. Thank you.

 Chapter 16 016 Solution (3)

    ?Gale awoke from meditation to find Vale ying with Rong''er. The hound was chasing after the little boy yfully while the boy was literally bursting withughter. A smile crept on Gale''s lips seeing this.


    Gale lunged from his spot, instantly travelling ten paces to appear before the hound. Vale woofed and took a U-turn, while theughter ended from the little boy''s lips instantly.


    Rong''er looked at Gale with all seriousness a two-year-old could muster. Finding thenky stranger not giving in, he too turned his head and ran.


    Galeughed and chased after the two. Vale managed to flee without an issue, but Gale''s real target was the little boy. With another leap, he appeared before the boy again with a wicked smile on his lips.


    The boy looked around and found his great-grandma. He was about to call when arge hand swooped him up from the ground.


    "Grandma . . ."


    Xiaolin watched with Grandma Wang from the veranda. The old woman was having hot green tea, calmly watching the y.


    "Woof!" Vale barked, protesting Gale. Nevertheless, his tail waggled in spirit, running in circles around Gale.


    "Okay, okay," Gale said, "I won''t hinder your fun."


    Saying that, he ced the little boy on top of the furry hound. Gale stooped face to face with Rong''er as the little boy looked at him with much reservation. Perhaps the presence of his great-grandma gave him the little confidence needed to face this strange foreign man.


    "What''s your name?" Gale asked, smiling.


    The little boy blinked and tilted his head to look at his grandma, who nodded her head. The boy took a deep breath and said, "Rong''er."


    "Rong''er," Gale repeated, "do you like magic?"


    The infant nodded his head with some suspicion.


    "What else do you like?"


    The little boy looked lost at the question.


    "Do you like sweets?" Gale revised his question.


    The boy nodded.


    "Okay, do you want to see magic?"


    Rong''er nodded his head earnestly.


    Gale smiled. "Look at my palm." He held his right palm open and wide and wiggled on the infant''s head. "Do you see anything?"


    Rong''er shook his head in incredulity.


    "So, you see nothing," Gale said and snapped his other palm a good few times above it, "but I have this in my palm."


    A chocte bar appeared out of thin air on his palm. He gave it to the boy, whose eyes sparkled at the magic trick.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "There you have it. Your magic and sweet."


    Rong''er didn''t eat the chocte, however. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed as he considered the sweet. A conflicted look reced the sparkle on the boy''s chubby face.


    "You''re not going to eat it?"


    A sign of distress crept into the eyes of the little boy. He tilted his head to look at his great grandma as if waiting for the green signal. But finding nothing, the boy only looked with uncertainty. To eat it or not.


    Gale''s eyes widened. Never had he ever seen a kid resisting sweets like this. Rong''er clearly had the desire to eat it, but something was stopping him. ''Maybe because I''m a stranger?''


    After several seconds, the little boy held out the chocte bar for Gale to take it back. "Rong''er will not eat it."


    "Why?" Gale asked, curious.


    "Mama and Papa fight when Rong''er eats many sweets," the little boy said.


    Gale gave an incredulous look and turned to look at the old woman, who just sighed. The thing was probably like this: Rong''er''s father doted on him too much and gave him too many sweets whenever hees home. However, sweets weren''t really the healthiest thing for a child. So the husband and wife probably argued before the kid. And you know what happens when a couple argues: their argument goes tangents on countless topics.


    In the end, it wouldn''t be about sweets anymore, but it provided the little kid with enough reason to reject sweets.


    Still, Rong''er had to be smart enough to understand arguing isn''t a good thing, and he could do something about it.


    "I wish I was as smart as you when I was younger." He sighed and pushed the chocte bar. "Give it to your mama. She''ll decide when you eat."


    The infant''s eyes widened and he nodded.


    "Well, Rong''er is smart and too cute to refuse. I''m sure your mama will let you have it."


    After the little boy left to find his mother, Gale turned to the women as they were waiting for him. The old woman was mostly calm, minding her business. While Xiaolin''s eyes were wide and curious.


    "What?" Gale couldn''t help but ask. "Do you want chocte too?"


    "Ah--" Before she could answer, Gale tossed her a bar of chocte. That reminded him, he only had a limited amount of chocte and cocoa beans, and they would run out in a few months.


    "On the topic of chocte," Gale asked, "are there any cocoa farms in this valley?"


    "I don''t think so," Xiaolin said, examining the dark chocte bar. "I have never seen this. Chocte. Is this some foreign sweet?"


    "You can say that," Gale said as a grim premonition struck him. What if there''s no chocte in the eastern domain? It had taken him over two years toe across cocoa in this xianxiand. So far what he had seen of the eastern domain, chocte didn''t seem like a typicalmodity.


    Do I have to travel half of the world just for chocte?


    _____

 Chapter 17 017 Grandma Yushen (1)

    ?''Do I have to travel half of the world just for chocte?''


    "You can get it from the capital," said the old woman, much to Gale''s relief. "As far as I know, cocoas are only grown in Greenke and Azure Park. Wayshire is too cold to grow it."


    "That''s good," Gale said, calcting in his head. The capital was barely half a day away, while the central domain was months away. As for Green Lake and Azure Park, they should be close too, inside the seven kingdoms at the very least.


    Then he remembered he hadn''t greeted her in the old way yet. Old elders like to have respect even if in pretence. But strength revered above everything else in this sick world. Well, she''s a silver ranker which should be the apex of this valley. But Gale wasn''t from this valley.


    Though he wasn''t at the apex of this world, he was still something. Ignoring all of Gale''s fault, he was still a bona fide gold ranker and could still use spirit resonance, albeit limited because of the suppression. That could overwhelm many normal silver rankers in seconds.


    Strength reveres above all.


    After slight consideration, Galeplied, bowing his head with proper reverence. "Greetings, Elder Wang."


    Nobody bes small bowing their head, his master had told him on the very first day of his tutge.


    Nobody bes small bowing their head to the right people, Gale had replied at the time. And bowed his head.


    Wang Yushen was 157 this year. Still, she was left with a couple of good decades in her natural lifespan. She had spent the early period of her life in the relentless pursuit of the martial way.


    She came from an unattractive vige nobody knew, travelled all over Tianhui, and joined a prestigious sect, which was literally impossible for someone like her. In her prime, everything went well after the initial struggle. She advanced to Silver over a hundred years ago, got married and had kids.


    However, tragedy struck her out of nowhere. A devastating war broke out in the three kingdoms of Tianhui, Shah''anak, and Fa Omar. In the end, Tianhui came victorious, gaining an alliance with Fa Omar, the neighbouring kingdom in the west.


    The war took away what Wang Yushen worked so hard for. Her husband and firstborn died in the war, leaving only an infant girl.


    Still with a child, Yushen had something to hold on to. Eventually, she married again after a few years. Her second husband wasn''t a soldier, but a physician, which seemed a good fit for her as she didn''t want to lose anyone again.


    With him, she came back to the vige she had journeyed from. The unnamed vige is now known as Wayshire town.


    They established the house together, where Wang Yushen helped young boys and girls in the martial way and her husband helped the sick. They had spent about sixty years together and watched the ce grow from a little vige to a town of some renown.


    Eventually, her second husband died too, not out of tragedy. His life span had been running out and to amend that, he tried ast attempt to advance to silver.


    He failed.


    Over thest hundred years, Wang Yushen lost other children and even grandchildren. But she eventually made peace with it. Even when some of her children got standing in a better ce, she turned them down and remained in this town.


    She still helped whoever needed in the martial way, though the demand was decreasing each year. The town was growing fast, or perhaps it was because she was old.


    "Greetings, Elder Wang."


    Wang Yushen lifted her head to look at the youth. A foreign face; not the first time she was seeing it, but it still felt odd seeing him here. What was even odder was the youth''s beast. Throughout her years of adventure, she had seen plenty of intelligent beasts, some had even morphed into human skin, but never something like this.


    There''s something about the dog. It''s like standing under a great bodhi tree or being under the grace of a benignant being. The kid possessed such an aura as well, though fainter than the beast.


    That was the only reason why she hadn''t stopped her great-grandchild when he yed with the beast. Spirit beasts might be intelligent, but in the end, they were beasts. They were ferocious by nature, but the dog appeared only to be a big furry pack of happiness.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You can call me Grandma like everyone else," Yushen told the boy, who waited for her response. "Sit down. We have much to talk about."


    Gale abided, sitting face to face with her, a few paces away. Yushen didn''t speak for a moment, as if trying to gauze his patience. Xiaolin prepared him a cup of tea, which he drank after thanking her for it.


    "I have seen no boy capable of deep meditation in this town in decades," Yushen added nonchntly.


    "Boy?" the foreigner perked an eyebrow. He seemed a bit offended,pletely overlooking the subtlepliment.


    "To my age, you''re a boy," she said.


    "Then Xiaolin is probably a child to you," Gale retorted.


    Wang Yushen gave the nervous girl a look. "True," she said calmly. "Her father was a boy when I taught him. He left to earn glory and eventually came back with a toddler,cking a wife."


    "It seems people tend toe here after chasing some glory," Gale said idly.


    Yushen stared at him. "You''re aware of the situation Xiaolin is in?" she asked, eventually.


    Gale nodded.


    "And you still want to buy thend?"


    "Sure."


    "Are you buying thend to gain something out of her?"


    Gale was momentarily lost. "Like what?"


    Wang Yushen raised an eyebrow. "You know what I mean."


    Gale chuckled and shook his head. "Xiaolin''s only a child, as you said," he said.


    "Half of the boys attend the morning meditation session only to see this child."


    The teenage girl, who wasn''t aware of what the two of them were talking about finally understood and blushed, turning her head, looking for something to do. To her demerit, she found nothing.


    "I won''t hold it against you if you''re one of those fools who fancied Xiaolin. There is no other fairer girl in this town than her," Wang Yushen paused to check his expression. Gale hadn''t shown any sign of embarrassment, much to her doubt. "If that''s not the case, then you''re dumber than those fools."


    ____________


    The kingdom''s names weren''t very Chinese, or xianxia-ish. Two of them may even seem like countries with a lot of oil. Just know that it''s intentional.


    The world is not entirely based on wuxia/xianxia themes.


    Thank you Daoistwaterdrop for the review. Also to the other power stone donators. I''ll try to write faster and upload more.

 Chapter 18 018 Grandma Yushen (2)

    ?"I won''t hold it against you if you''re one of those fools who fancied Xiaolin. There is no other fairer girl in this town than her," Wang Yushen paused to check his expression. Gale hadn''t shown any sign of embarrassment, much to her doubt. "If that''s not the case, then you''re dumber than those fools."


    Gale kept his silence as there was nothing to say. Anything to refute that would be her point. Gale had lost enough of those to his master and sister-inw.


    "Why do you want to go out of your way and get into trouble if not for wooing thisss?"


    Gale sighed. "Thend met my requirements." He paused to add atst: "And I don''t like when everyone tries to oppress the weak."


    "So, it has nothing to do with how pretty Xiaolin is?"


    Gale kept a neutral look, but eventually broke into a sigh. "I''ve been told I have quite the knack of ying the hero. "


    A silence descended on the veranda as Grandma Yushen considered. Xiaolin tried to get out of there without notice, as the topic was rather embarrassing for her to listen to. She barely moved a few muscles when Grandma Wang''s eyes drifted to her.


    "Sit down, girl. I have taught you enough not to embarrass yourself."


    "Yes, grandma," Xiaolin said, her shoulder slumped as she sat back rigidly.


    "Mr Gale--"


    "You can call me by my name, Grandma."


    "Alright," Yushen nodded, "Gale. I believe what you said. I simply wanted to see the reason behind your decision."


    "Are you satisfied that I didn''te with some profound reason and whatnot?"


    "I am," Wang Yushen agreed. "I have the papers ready. With a little more work, we can proceed for the verification. Also, don''t worry about any problems, all will be taken care of."


    Xiaolin seemed genuinely relieved hearing her out. So Gale nodded.


    "12 acres ofnd," Yushen continued. "An acre of farmingnd is usually priced at around eighty thousand iron marks, however, considering theplication and the location of the station, Xiaolin can rpense a twenty thousand iron marks. So sixty thousand per acre, seven hundred and twenty thousand iron marks in total. Is that agreeable?"


    "What?" Gale frowned, gaining a nervous gasp from Xiaolin. But his next words relieved every worry of her. "Isn''t that too cheap?"


    "If you consider it cheap, you can buy thend for full price," Grandma Yushen said with a smile. "But yes, thend is rather cheap. Anybody can get their money back farming within five-six years, I reckon.


    "Or you can court thisss and gain all forty-odd acres of it for free."


    "Grandma . . ." Xiaolin called, looking down nervously. Her face was red with all the embarrassment and blushing.


    Gale smiled fondly. "My father had a philosophy about marriage. It had to be one of love, political gain or wealth to marry someone."


    "He seemed like a practical man."


    "True," Gale agreed. "He married my mother for thetter two. Eventually, they went their separate ways. I''m not like him very much."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That I can see."


    "Madam Wang said it would take about a week for the paperwork," Gale said. "When do you need me to make the payment?"


    "As soon as you can," Grandma Wang answered. "That kid of the Han Family will want to create problems if he can, so the quicker we can go forward the better it would be."


    "If there''s a problem, you can pay in instalments," Xiaolin stated from the side.


    "Money isn''t an issue." Gale rubbed his fingers and calcted, considering how many marks he had with him. "Sadly, it seemed I don''t have that many iron marks."


    "That''s unfortunate," Grandma Wang intoned.


    Gale didn''t think so. He asked, "Can you make it happen with Silver marks?"


    Wang Yushen was momentarily stunned, but it was so faint that others thought their eyes were ying a trick on them. "The exchange rate is a hundred to one. If you can produce that many, we can go forward immediately."


    "Great." Gale closed his eyes and all the contents of the void lock came into his mind. There were a lot of items inside, from useless stuff that he poured he didn''t know when to earthly and heavenly treasures. In one corner were a few piles of spirit coins.


    Most of them were gold marks, the highest grade of spirit coins. Still, they weren''t Gale''s most valuable collection. Gale''s eyes drifted towards a hefty heap of silver marks.


    With a thought, he opened a hole in the middle of the veranda and let silver marks fall out of it. They were simr to iron marks, silvery crystals perfectly carved into coins. Thin smoky white mists drifted around them slowly, pulling a different vibe around them.


    Gale only needed seven thousand two hundred of them, but he let it free until the number reached close to five digits.


    Even though the fate-lock worked onmand, it wasn''t efficient enough to produce the exact number of coins onmand. Well, it was mostly Gale''s fault. If he wanted, he could''ve made it happen, but it would take more time and energy.


    Gale was patient, but not to the point that he would waste time on such a nuisance.


    "You really aren''t someone who cares about wealth," Wang Yushen read. "Xiaolin, go fetch a scripted lockbox. Each second you waste, you lose a few copper marks."


    Xiaolin was stupefied at the revtion of Silver marks at first and then at Grandma Wang''s word. She didn''t understand why she would lose money, but she trusted Grandma Wang enough to lurch up from her spot to scurry into the inn.


    "Sorry, I forgot that the natural density of energy here is low."


    Grandma Wang gave him a t look which told quite clearly: that''s why you''re still a boy.


    Gale looked away and turned to his fingernail. They grew quite long. He took a mental note to groom them well.


    ______


    Drop powerstones, if you like the book

 Chapter 19 019 Grandma Yushen (3)

    ?A couple of minutester, Xiaolin came back, barely carrying arge metal chest spending all her spiritual capability. The chest had runic patterns carved into it, all of its functionsid bare to Gale''s sight. A couple of defence mechanisms, durability scripts with an adhesive sealing which kept all characteristics of the content sealed.


    . She gasped, dropping the lock box next to the pile of coins. She wasted no moment on collecting her breath and collected the marks into the chest.


    "You only lost about a couple of iron marks." Gale smiled.


    "Why is that?" she asked, failing to contain her curiosity. "I didn''t see such a manifestation with copper or iron marks. Is it something unique to silver and gold marks?"


    "Nah, just some energy ''exosmosis''." Gale paused, unable toe up with a familiar term in themon tongue. "Or something simr."


    "Exo, what?"


    "I don''t know the word in themon tongue."


    "The energy density of this region is a lot lower than what is contained in those concentrated silver marks," Grandma Wang answered. "Energy density always wants to get into equilibrium, and such low density in the natural ambient energy causes all the non-concentrated energy inside the coins to flow out. The ambient energy density isn''t low enough to cause this to iron marks, though it tends to happen over time."


    "Oh," Xiaolin nodded heavily as the realisation dawned on her.


    "You should have realised all this on your own. Now quit wasting time and collect your money."


    Gale watched the interaction quietly and then suddenly his eyes widened like saucers. Those white mists¡ªthe energy that drifted out of the coins¡ªXiaolin was absorbing them. No, it wasn''t like how a dry sponge absorbed water, as she wasn''t doing it intentionally, but it was something.


    Gale couldn''t do that when he was barely an initiate or even a copper.


    "Are you seeing this?" Gale couldn''t help but ask.


    Grandma Yushen nodded as if it was nothing new to her. "If it wasn''t for her faulty meridians," she sighed, "Xiaolin would already be an iron ranker."


    "It''s not faulty," Gale murmured, eyes glued to the smoky energy soaking into Xiaolin''s skin. "Meridians were meant to transfer energy. The problem is that she couldn''t store it.


    "She wasn''t even doing it intentionally. The energy was flowing on its own. It''s like a natural ''endosmosis'' process."


    Xiaolin turned her head to look at him, probably wondering what the hell Gale was murmuring about. "Is there something wrong, Senior?"


    "Your condition is more unique than I thought," he said. "You have no trouble absorbing energy above your rank, do you?"


    Xiaolin considered for a second and shook his head. "Energy builds pretty easily, but at some point, they leak no matter what I do."


    Gale frowned. The energy has not transformed her body in any way, but she should be capable of using them through some skills. "You can apply the Qi in skills, like strengthening the body, starting any construct, right?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I can, but all the Qi lost in the application is lost for good. Qi doesn''t recover unless I cycle and absorb energy again from the start."


    Basically, she would probably need half a minute to waste a full day''s progress. If Gale had such a problem, he probably would be dead, mining spirit coins miles under the earth.


    "From the looks of you, I can guess you haven''t applied Qi in any physical enhancement arts, keeping your physique fragile like a mortal girl."


    Xiaolin perked an eyebrow, but didn''t question. She was utterly conflicted about using her Qi, as her tank would hit zero in no time. All she was hoping for was to hold the Qi long enough to reach copper, after that she would decide what to do.


    "What do you intend for her to do?" Grandma Wang asked after a while.


    "If Xiaolin cultivated her physique to some degree, perhaps she can bind a Fate-lock with no problem."


    "Fate-lock?" Grandma Wang shook her head. "They are too expensive. Even selling her entire property will get her useless stuff. Besides, without enough Qi, what''s the point of having a fate lock?"


    "Your concern is genuine, but there is a type of artificial fate-lock core which is used for a supplement Qi source. Normally something like that would be nothing to a normal practitioner, but to someone like Xiaolin, it could change her whole life."


    "You mean those fake fate locks that some artisans came up with?" Elder Wang asked in a neutral voice, though her tone contained a staid detest to it.


    Gale sighed, hearing her. The people of Tainhui were really old-fashioned, still resolute in keeping the traditional way of practising spirit arts. There''s nothing wrong with that, but eventually, they would have to bend, today or tomorrow. The only problem with that was time¨Cthe exact factor that couldn''t be controlled.


    To Gale, it''s always better to solve a problem today than to hold on to distorted tradition. Well, the creation of artificial fate locks was new, and not widely known in the east, much less in this unremarkable town. Considering that, her scepticism wasn''t unwarranted.


    It was that scepticism that was stopping many from advancing further into their path, as they would need something to lock their fate. Not everyone can afford genuine fate locks. Besides that, it''s an artificial fate-lock or cultivating naturalw to umte a fate out of it. But you have to be either a genius like Sage Heartme or have good fortune, like our Dragon Prince, and search for waterfalls all over the world.


    Neither of them was thatmon, leaving only one choice.


    "There''s a kingdom in the west, Keldor," Gale said after some deliberation. "Have you heard about it?"


    "I have lived over a hundred and fifty years. Of course, I have heard about it, boy."


    "Well, my mistake," Gale smiled. "Anyway, in Keldor, there''s a special division in the king''s army called the Burners. Thousands of practitioners of silver and gold, each with devastating firepower. Do you know how they are formed?"


    Grandma Wang didn''t have to ask. Finding her curious, he continued:


    "The Royal family of Keldor has the richest source of fire spirit stones, but they don''t use all of it on cultivating practitioners directly, instead they use arge portion of it though some special means and augment them into fire spirit gems. It didn''t end there. Keldor possesses the highest number of artisans too, and they put them to good use, using all those fire spirit gems to create artificial fate-locks, ignition weapons with immense firepower.


    "Keldor is the youngest nation, barely having a few hundred years of history, but they know how to transform wealth into strength and they did a great job of it."

 Chapter 20 020 Granma Yushen (4)

    ?Grandma Wang considered his words while Xiaolin looked with uncertainty. She understood very little of the conversation. She had heard of Fate-lock through the various stories of immortal lords and her study, but what Gale mentioned seemed like something else.


    True, she would be ecstatic to have a fate-lock, but she knew she didn''t possess the wealth to get one. Besides, she needed to be at copper to fuse with a fate-lock.


    "Fate-lock created by men?" She couldn''t help but murmur. "How''s that possible?"


    "All fate locks are created by men," Gale snorted. "The only difference is their level of skill and the materials."


    Xiaolin''s eyes widened at the implication. But the more she thought about it, the more true it seemed. Most fate locks were in the shape of weapons or tools, and who else would create such things other than intelligent beings? Well, she was aware some of the ancient ones, like Lord Heartme''s Bow, were God-given.


    "Look at this." Gale rolled up his sleeves and showed the spiral mark that seemed to travel somewhere deep. Xiaolin prickled her nose at the boundless deepness. "This too is an artificial one, though the way to recreate it is lost. But this one is not artificial."


    Saying that, he unbuttoned a couple of buttons on his chest to show a white shield emblem. The surrounding aura made her feel close to that of Vale.


    "This one works on intent and faith from what I''ve been told. There''s no hammering or scribbling about it, but there are not many such fate locks left in this world.


    "I''m not forcing anything, just putting it out there if there''s no other way."


    After saying that, Gale stood up. It''s time for breakfast already. "Hit me when the papers are ready. I need to make a jog to the Artisan guild."


    Only then did the question arrive in her mind. Elder sister Wang Li said, senior is a copper ranker even though he drank a mug of iron drink, but how can he have two fate-locks if he''s only copper?


    She wanted to ask Grandma, who knew more about that stuff, but the thoughtful look in her eyes made her reconsider. Also, she already spoke too much about Senior Gale to her, making her have wild ideas. She had enough of the embarrassment already.


    "Have you counted the coins?" Grandma Wang asked when Senior Gale''s figure couldn''t be seen anymore.


    Xiaolin nodded. "Nine thousand seven hundred twenty-two."


    "Seem like your senior really wants to pay full price for the property."


    "Or he didn''t care about marks," Xiaolin replied. "He just tossed a portion that seemed close to the number."


    "Well, we took care of one thing. What do you want to do with the rest of thend?"


    "I hadn''t thought about it." Xiaolin''s voice grew solemn. "Father only wanted to sell this much because taking care of all of it became tough only with the two of us."


    "Well, you can''t do farming alone, and I won''t let you until the problem is settled. Perhaps you should ask your senior Gale to take a rest for a lease."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Xiaolin was too flustered to answer.


    "I''m serious, girl," Grandma Yushen snorted. "That boy would need a ce to stay until he builds one. Besides, it''s better to leave the property in use. Talk to him about it, or do I have to do it myself?"


    "I''ll talk to senior." Xiaolin paused. "Grandma, will there be any problem?"


    "I hope not," Wang Yushen said in an aged tone, "but if it arrives, I''ll deal with it. Can you carry the lockbox?"


    "I"ll manage," Xiaolin said, tugging at the metal chest.


    "Well, leave it if you can''t. Anyway, you will go see Fengter, yes?" Finding the girl nodding, she continued, "Remember to take medicines from my room."


    "Yes, Grandma." Xiaolin turned to carry out the chest, even though she wanted to ask about what Grandma thought about the way Senior Gale talked about.


    But that look on her face didn''t go unnoticed by Wang Yushen''s eyes.


    "You wanted to know more about what the boy said?" She put it as a question, but it was really a statement. She continued, not waiting for her to reply. "I don''t know much about it. In my time there wasn''t such a thing, though I did hear before practitioners crippling themselves trying to fuse with fake fate-locks."


    Xiaolin''s face grew curious to serious in a matter of seconds.


    "I''ll ask a knowledgeable person about it."


    Xiaolin nodded, tugged the chest and was about to leave when Grandma called her again.


    "Linlin, what did you sniff about that beast?"


    Xiaolin said the first word that came to her mind. "A majestic tree?" A frown perked on her brows. "I don''t know, but he felt sacred, somehow."


    "And the boy?"


    "He smelt like burning and nothing."


    _____________


    Done! I''m off to sleep. We''ll be farming in about a few chapters. But maybe before that, I would write a short interlude. Let''s see.

 Chapter 21 Interlude (1)

    ?Shi Fan was eerily nervous. It wasn''t the ideal mood he would like to have to meet a friend. But he couldn''t help it, considering the friend was Twilight. Not the time of the day, but a frightening woman who could slit his throat and he wouldn''t know.


    After everything went in thisir, Shi Fan decided to move again from there to an even lonelier ce, but he couldn''t do that on his own. He needed a helping hand to move all those treasures from prying gazes.


    The area might be rural, but treasures of this caliber tend to call disasters wherever they are taken. From greedy practitioners to wild beasts, anything could get pulled from the ripples of its effect.


    Shi Fan had taken care of the ones he could on his own, but for the pure crystal, he required Twilight''s help. That was one reason he was nervous. Whether Twilight would ept the deal or not.


    The other reason was Twilight herself. True, she wouldn''t covet his treasure. He was absolutely . . . well, mostly sure about it. She had chances to run away with his stuff, but she had not. In contrast to her eerie presence, Twilight valued her work ethic and honesty more.


    The eerie thing about her was that she could be standing across from him, goggling at him, but he wouldn''t know. Unless she wanted him to.


    Twilight was a bounty hunter, an assassin. She wasn''t that always, of course. Something happened to her fate-lock, Shi Fan didn''t know if things went wrong or right, letting her into such a unique situation where she could go invisible, alter herself between physical and spiritual state and other things he wasn''t aware of.


    As far as Shi Fan was concerned, it seemed like a gift to him. Who wouldn''t want to have such spirit arts that would let you travel unhindered throughout the world?


    But after the ident, Twilight grew more distant. She left the sect on a number of asions and eventually cut herself off from the sect. Shi Fan mostly knew her by face in the sect, and onlyter they became friends.


    Shi Fan stared into the darkness, his back getting stiff in the cold of the night. An eerie wind blew from the mountains, pping his face. But the damnable thing was the cacophony of insects going louder and louder as the evening progressed.


    A slight cycling of Qi would drive away all the chilliness, but he couldn''t just seal off his ears. Well, he could, but it would leave his senses incapacitated. Thus, Shi Fan decided he would endure the awful chorus of these damnable insects for a little longer.


    But as time passed, a grim recognition came to the back of his mind. What if Twilight had better things to take care of than babysitting him?


    The more he thought, the more likely it seemed. Perhaps she was busy on some assassin mission, taking care of some corrupt gold ranker and didn''t have time to read his message.


    As Shi Fan was pondering, the cacophony of the insects stopped abruptly, alerting Shi Fan. The wind stilled too, bringing the eerie vibe to higher ground. Shi Fan stood up on the move to inspect when a dark silhouette came into his vision. Shi Fan unconsciously pulled his Qi, only to recognise the figure as Twilight.


    The frame was slender in a dark robe. Shi Fan could only make out the slightly glowing eye which came quite close to that of a canine. Shi Fan wasn''t mistaken. Only Twilight could have a presence like that.


    Shi Fan only wished she wouldn''t be so anticlimactic, silencing all the insects on arrival.


    "I see you''ve seeded in your advancement," Twilight said. Her voice seemed to hit only where it needed to, into Shi Fan''s eardrums.


    "Good evening, senior sister," Shi Fan greeted.


    Twilight nodded ever so slightly that Shi Fan almost missed it. "So you need to move again?" she asked. "How did ite to this so early?"


    Shi Fanughed dryly, trying to lighten the mood, but he failed miserably. Twilight still stood with her mysterious aura, as her loose robe swayed even in theck of wind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wetting his lips, Shi Fan exined how things went wrong. From a couple of mortals to the weird hound to an even weirder owner, he let out everything he thought relevant.


    "A dog?" Twilight asked. "You''re sure it''s a dog, not some great wolf, morphed into a dog?"


    Shi Fan shook his head. "I''m uncertain, but the beast was weird."


    Twilight didn''t speak for a while as silence descended with theck of wind and the bickering insects. "And the master," she asked, "he didn''t covet the treasures?"


    "He seemed perfectly cid that the treasures weren''t of any use to him."


    "What? Is he some sage to look down on pure crystals?" Twilight snorted. Or it was just his imagination. Twilight''s voice grew colder. "I don''t think so. Only gem heart experts have no use of pure crystal. To everyone else, pure crystals are everything they need. A genius isn''t created by sheer willpower and talent.


    "Behind every genius, there''s always heaps of pure crystals, spirit marks, and other heavenly treasures."


    "But you''re not everyone else." Shi Fan said. "You don''t covet them."


    "Who told you that?" Twilight''s canine eyes grew colder.


    Shi Fan almost took a step back. That didn''t go unnoticed by Twilight''s eyes, which softened shortly as she sighed. "Hope that person is virtuous and truly meant what he said, but don''t go to sleep, believing everything they say. I shouldn''t have to tell you that after what happened to your master."


    Shi Fan bit his lips. "What do you think I should do?"


    "What you''re doing, but faster."


    "That''s why I called you." Shi Fan took a deep breath and stood straight. "If you agree, should we discuss the terms?"


    Twilight nodded. "I will need to look into mortals and the other practitioners. Whether or not they leaked the matter. That''s extra work," she said. "Two hundred Silver marks per day. Other remuneration ording to difficulties."


    The price was steep, but Shi Fan wasted no moment to agree. Twilight didn''t disappoint, and she was at least a silver ranker who had killed Gold rankers before.


    The price was a bargain, considering her reputation.


    Shi Fan made the initial payment immediately, employing her right from this moment. Making sure everything was fair, the dark silhouette vanished.


    Shi Fan didn''t sigh, however. She could be standing right behind him.

 Chapter 22 021 Maidenless (1)

    ?Anxiety jittered her expression as Xiaolin prepared to leave for the mayor''s office. She had been mostly content the whole day, thinking she would take care of one problem after so long.


    But as the time came to record the verbal agreement on paper, she grew queasy. Grandma Yushen provided enough reassurance for her not to be worried. That should have been enough, but she couldn''t help it.


    She wouldn''t rest until everything went smoothly. The entire business had been a dark shadow on her heart for over a year. She was utterly hopeless to do anything. Unless she gets help from Grandma Wang and Senior Gale''s agreement to buy the property, she would still be in the dump.


    But not anymore. She would sell thend, gather enough resources and advance. After that, she would look for her father and find him.


    Changing into a cleaner robe, and binding her hair into a braid, Xiaolin got out of her room and scurried into the hall, hoping she wasn''t making the others wait.


    Grandma Yushen wasn''t in the hall yet. She sighed in relief, finding that. However, Senior Gale was present there working where Elder Sister Wang Li should have been. He had changed those weird short clothes to a fair tunic, hugged tight to his skin, outlining his proud stature. But he seemed carefree as always, chatting merrily with people he barely knew.


    Vale rested peacefully on the corner where little Rong''er stood next to him, considering waking the beast up for y. Elder sister seated near the counter, watched as Senior Gale handed her a cup of drink.


    "Chocte?" Wang Li arched an eyebrow. "This is what you''re so proud of?"


    "Hot chocte," Gale nodded, smiling. "It isn''t the same kind I gave Little Rong''er."


    He had one cup in his palm, patiently waiting for Elder Sister to drink the chocte drink and praise him. He seemed to be excessively expectant of her reaction, to fall into euphoric bliss with just a sip of the drink.


    Wang Li watched him warily and gave a provisional sip. Then an ethereal bliss spread across her face as she closed her eyes. She took another sip, arger one. Her tongue worked to lick the dark chocte dipping down her lips.


    "This is . . ." Wang Li was left speechless. After several euphoric whimpers, she finally collected her thoughts. "What have you mixed in?"


    A wide smile crept on Gale''s lips as he smirked. "Trade secret, but I''ll let you know I had to sacrifice over ten Virgin maidens to finally get this."


    Xiaolin faltered on her path while Wang Li gave the leftover hot chocte a look to stare back at Gale. "You''re single, right?"


    "Unfortunately," Gale said, shaking his head in distraught. "You can call me a maidenless tarnished if you like."


    "I can understand why that is," Wang Li muttered. "People can misinterpret your humour pretty easily."


    "That did happen on more than a couple of asions," Gale agreed. "But you do admit sacrificing the virgins was worth it?"


    A conflicted look developed on Wang Li''s face as she weighed the cost. Gale burst intoughter, pping the counter loudly.


    "Well, you can rest assured, no sacrifices were involved in the choctes, but I might have stolen them beforeing here. In my defence . . . Well, you drank it, you know it''s irresistible."


    Wang Li shook her head, unsure which part to believe and which part not to.


    "Talking about maidens," she said, turning to find Xiaolin. "There''s one. Ready to move, Linlin."


    Xiaolin nodded. "Grandma isn''t here yet?"


    "She''s expecting a guest."


    Just as Wang Li''s voice trailed off, the door of the inn creaked open and sunshine found its way into the inn. It was in the form of a fair youth with brimming silver hair and a perfectly symmetrical face that could make any woman blush just by the presence. His face could spark jealousy in any man, and make weak-willed suffer Qi deviation if they took the liberty of expression.


    More importantly, it wasn''t an unfamiliar face, but the same man who gave him a lift into Wayshire.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I wonder if he has any sisters, Gale wondered. Wait, plural? What I''m thinking?!


    "Apologies," Sun Ziang said, "I''m a bitte. Where''s Grandma?"


    Wang Li frowned, inspecting the neer. Her expression said she was seeing him for the first time, yet he seemed familiar with Grandma Yushen.


    "Oh, look at my manners," Sun Ziang said again, "I haven''t introduced myself yet. You must be Wang Li, Grandma Wang''s granddaughter. I''m Sun Ziang . . . A distant rtive."


    Gale exchanged quick nces between Sun Ziang and Wang Li as both of them stood in awkward silence. Until Grandma Wang slipped into the hall.


    "Ahh, Little Ziang," she said, "you''ve grown fine."


    Sun Ziang greeted, bowing respectively. "Aunt Mei asked for your good health and have me deliver this letter to you."


    A realisation shed in Wang Li''s eyes as Grandma Wang introduced everyone.


    "My first daughter had the good fortune of marrying into the great Sun n," Grandma Wang said. "When I heard Sun Zianging to our town, I asked him for a favour as he holds another identity than the son of the Great Sun n. He''s also a newly appointed enforcer of our town. He will be working as a witness to the recordings."


    That brightened Xiaolin even more than when the fabulously handsome Sun Xiang showed his face. Well, with that settled, they moved towards the Mayor''s office.


    ***


    Turns out Xiaolin was worrying about nothing. The proceedings continued without any dy.


    The Mayor was never present in the town as he had better things to spend time with, which leave much authority to the Han Family who worked as the spokesperson of the mayor.


    That left Han Xiao an edge to make a move, but with the presence of Grandma Wang and Enforcer Sun Ziang, he had to overlook the recordings.


    In the end, not only Xiaolin managed to sell 12 acres ofnd to Senior Gale, she even leased out the rest of thend for five years. Gale had already left extra marks with her, and everything went without a mishap.


    Xiaolin still couldn''t believe it even after reaching the Inn.


    "Seemed like you''re worried about nothing," Gale told her, pping her shoulder slightly. "Now what?"


    Xiaolin regarded him.


    "This asks for celebration, does it not?" Galeughed. "What do you do to celebrate here?"


    "We party," Wang Li answered for her.


    "Then we party."


    ____________


    Looks like I''ve spent enough on building up. A few story beats would go faster after this.

 Chapter 23 022 Maidenless (2)

    ?Gale woke up and groaned. A strained headache pricked his head as he rolled to sit up. His trustedpanion was nowhere to be seen. Opening a window, Gale found the reason for that. The sun has been up for a while now, and by a while, he meant five or six hours.


    Gale missed the meditation session again. He was truly growingzy these days.


    What happenedst night? Gale wondered. How much had he drunk for his memory to be cloudy? His body, though to the demerits of suppression, still had a gold resilient, he shouldn''t be having a hangover. Unless . . .


    With a thought, his consciousness drifted into the vast space of his void lock. As he thought, he was missing two bottles of spirit wine.


    That exined the hangover. Cycling all the Qi he could, Gale went to the washroom. After refreshing himself, he got out into the hall, only to find more than a couple of workers giving him a weird look and muffledughs.


    "What the hell happened?" he muttered.


    He found Wang Li in her usual position, bored and exhausted after the partyst night. She lifted her head to look at him. Something was wrong with the look she gave him, bringing his anticipation to a new height.


    I haven''t done anything weird, have I?


    "Morning," he said and sat across from her.


    "Well, you look . . . Awake."


    "I have better days." Gale stretched quietly as far as the seat would allow him. Cramping noises came as an attendant girl served him tea. Gale took a sip as some refreshing current surged through his body. "I haven''t done anything too embarrassing, have I?"


    Wang Li perked an eyebrow. "You don''t remember?" she asked. "I guess that''s for the best. You almost broke Xiaolin''s heart."


    "You''re creating confusion for nothing." Well, his memories would clear up, mostly. It would just take a few more minutes, though he was unsure if that would be a good thing.


    People tend to do crazy stuff when they are drunk. That couldn''t be more true in his case. Vale always kept him in check, but the hound probably left him free, or he hadn''t listened to himst night. Probably thetter.


    "Don''t worry, you have done nothing drastic," Wang Li said, still with a knowing smirk on her lips. She continued, counting her fingers, "Other than singing something in a foreignnguage loudly, dancing atop a table and breaking it while on top of it. Also, you almost got into a fistfight with my husband."


    Gale blinked. He sighed inwardly, finding no annoyance or offence in her eyes. Still, for politeness, he asked, "I haven''t gone too far, have I?"


    "Grandma was there. She calmed both of you up before you took it too far." She paused, finding Sun Zianging into the room, equally drudged with a hangover, if not more. A wicked smile crept onto her lips. "Oh, Sun Ziang helped too."


    The elegant youth nced at them, hearing his namee up. "I helped?"


    Wang Li nodded. "By the way, cousin, you lost in a drinking contest. You owe Gale one."


    "I do?" Sun Ziang looked equally lost as how Gale felt.


    Both of them exchanged nces as Gale remembered wagering in a drinking contest with him and Wang Li''s husband, who he hadn''t been properly introduced to. It was mostly a result of an argument. In the end, he came victorious for all it''s worth, as the handsome dude hardly was any challenge.


    As bits of memory came back to Gale, Xiaolin came up with a te of hot tea. Gale helped himself with another cup as suddenly his face became red. He remembered his embarrassing dance, which hardly goes into any school of dancing of both worlds. He moved as he pleased, eventually breaking the table.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But that wasn''t the end of it. The most embarrassing part was when he admitted he might have doubts about his sexuality if he had met Sun Ziang in his early teenage years.


    "Fuck," Gale groaned.


    It was not really his fault. He had literally drunk more than a bottle of spirit wine, which hardly lost out to ambrosia. On top of that, this dude who was sitting next to him had that kind of face that would have that effect. Gale would never admit something like that in his right mind.


    Maidenless as he might be right now, he was a perfectly straight man.


    "Why are you glowering at me?" Sun Ziang asked. A frown perked up his brows as he regarded Gale,pletely oblivious to what was going on inside Gale''s head.


    Before Gale could answer, Wang Li crackled into a giggle. "You . . . You remember?"


    Even Xiaolin, who was a good distance away, hid her face, unable to stop her giggle. Eventually, she departed, muffling her mouth with her palm. Laughing at two seniors was a bad virtue as far as she was concerned.


    "I wish I can erase memory," Gale muttered.


    "I''m still lost," Sun Ziang responded.


    "That''s for the best." Gale coughed. Wang Li agreed too. "I''ll offer you another cup of hot chocte to totally forget about it."


    "Five," Wang Li didn''t waste time in haggling.


    "Three."


    "Alright, deal," Wang Li agreed after a moment. "What about Xiaolin? She drank nothing. Everything is still vivid in her mind."


    "I''ll find something to bribe her." The chocte wouldn''t be good for her health as her constitution is merely better than a mortal. Then again, he probably wouldn''t need anything to bribe her. Xiaolin was a polite, sweet girl. Gale was certain, simply with good talk, he would have her word not to disclose this matter.


    As he was musing, thess came back into the hall again, guiding two middle-aged men, d in traditional robes with the emblem of the Artisans Guild.


    "Senior," Xiaolin called, "they are from the guild and looking for you."


    Gale regarded the neers. He did ask for a meeting with some free artisans and a master craftsman on his visit to the guild, but he didn''t think they would be so fast about it. Artisans were everything but timely. Gale knew it. Artisans were a bunch of miserable wretches who detested socialising even more than getting things done in time.


    Well, perhaps the Fate-lock core he had provided them for checking was enough reason to persuade them. Also, he provided them with a goodmission, which hardly urs in a town like this.


    ____________


    Mushroompig thank you for the review. And to everyone for the power stones.


    A hope to get an extra chapter done tomorrow.

 Chapter 24 023 Maidenless (3)

    ?Both of the neers were of iron rank and seemed to be stuck there for about a decade. The one in the front has a refined and politely restrained aura, while the other person wore his aura like an ornament.


    Just by the look of that, Gale was sure the former was an artisan. Well, on the path of bing one, an apprentice, probably. As for the other person, Gale believed him to be a craftsman. The aura was evidence enough. What''s more, his fingers and arms had a tone that told volumes about his work. Those hands knocked hammers too many times.


    "Greetings fellow practitioners," the sheltered one of the duo spoke, "I''m Guo Zong, an apprentice artisan, and this is Master Craftsman Shi Jun. Pleased to make your acquaintance."


    The hard man, Master Craftsman Shi Jun, nodded his head with a slight bow.


    "Well, it seemed the guild weighed my words seriously, sending a Master Craftsman so easily." Gale nodded and invited them in.


    "We of the Artisans Guild take our work seriously," Guo Zong assured, his chest puffing in a proud boast. "Besides, Master Gale, you provided enough marks to take you seriously."


    Well, it seemed five hundred silver marks were enough for people to take you seriously there. Though he was sure it had more to do with the artificial fate lock, he provided them with.


    "Youmissioned the guild?" Wang Li arched an eyebrow. "For what?"


    "To build a house, of course."


    "A Master Craftsman to build a house . . ." Wang Li pursed her lips and shook his head.


    Gale wanted tomission a master architect if there was one, butter he learned that craftsmen''s business included buildingrge projects like building sect houses, temples, mansions, houses, etc. They worked as engineers, in charge of all the ns and execution for the project with a helpful crew of builders.


    Gale could have built his own house from scratch if he wanted, but then he would have to experience many trials and errors. That could waste a lot of time easily. He might be a gold ranker, but he hardly had any experience building homes. Besides, he wasn''t trying to make a cottage. If he had, he would''ve been making it himself.


    So his bright idea here was to leave a man who knows his stuff in charge, while he would also be present, helping and affirming all the decisions. Well, the craftsman and his crew would only build the house.


    Unfortunately, it seemed the guild had no master artisans or even an adept to spare. So Gale would still have to do the scripting part, and he was fine with it. Despite him never conventionally earning a Masters title in scripting, there wasn''t much difference between them.


    A practitioner''s house needed to have a practitioner''s virtue and longevity, after all.


    "I forgot money isn''t an issue for you," Wang Li said, clicking her tongue. "Still, it wouldn''te cheap,missioning a master craftsman and an artisan. Must be some monumental architecture you think of establishing."


    Wang Li didn''t seem to have the faintest idea of how loaded he was. True, his void-lock couldn''t store everything, but it had enough to be on par with a silver-ranked guild or sect with hundreds of years of inheritance. That''s how loaded he was.


    "We only live once," Gale smiled. "If I can''t even spend some money for years-long happiness, then what''s the point of earning?"


    "Truly, wise words from the younger generation," Guo Zong said. He wasn''t really the introvert, it seemed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale brought them to the open veranda for the meeting, as it was nice and quiet there all the time. After informing Xiaolin to serve tea to the gentlemen, he addressed them.


    "Alright, gentlemen. Show me all the blueprints you have. Be mindful that it has to be spacious."


    The guilds-men came prepared. They showed Gale over a dozen types of blueprints they were familiar with building. Most of them were old-fashioned, traditional east-domain houses. Some of them were copies of some famous pces of Tianhui in simpler forms.


    Gale liked most of them, but they don''t seem practical to him. A pce in the middle of nowhere would look weird to him and everyone else. Also, a single man would look rather lonely in such an enormous pce.


    Besides, old-fashioned buildings had a terrible sense of space. They waste useable space just too much.


    In the end, Gale brought out a scribing pen and parchment paper and started drawing, remembering the spot where he would like to build his home. Gale chose the slope in the north, where it was too inefficient to farm. They would need to tten the slope somewhat to work, but the space would be wasted if left out.


    Gale mapped out equal space before the house for the garden and an outside bath, then drew the frameworks. An outdoor staircase to climb, as the house would be on higher ground. It was more like a mansion than a pce and went well with the image he had in his mind. The mansion would look smaller from the front, but spacious enough.


    Gale didn''t forget to leave space for the balcony or all the specific rooms he had in mind.


    After finishing scribbling, he found the two gentlemen patiently waiting for him. Gale nodded to them and handed the paper to Shi Jun, the master crafter.


    "Is this workable?" he asked. Shi Jun inspected the paper in silence and Gale continued exining, "The first floor is for the residence, practising spirit arts, and receiving guests, while the ground floor is for more stuff like stocking liquor, spirit herbs, treasures, and also a collection room. . . ."


    Gale paused, noticing a lot of free space he would have no use for. Perhaps they will be of use to a family. If I ever have one.


    "This is very . . . Unconventional," Guo Zong chose a word that wouldn''t be offending. The shape of the building probably seemed terrible to his sense, as he hadn''t seen anything so ugly.


    Master Jun didn''t speak a word. He took the pen and started outlining over his drawing. "If the idea behind this is to use all the space," the master craftsman said, regarding Gale, "then perhaps you can shorten the outdoor staircase. The open veranda on the first floor seemed like an interesting idea. You only want the first floor toe into view from the outside right as the staircase leads there?"


    Gale nodded. If he truly wanted a practical use of space, he would''ve drawn a skyscraper, but that would appear ugly and unique. The one he drew was more weing and homely, though it would have extravagance and richness inside.


    "I''ll need to see the space and a day or two to make a blueprint that will work," Master Jun said. "When do you want to start?"


    "As soon as possible," Gale answered.


    "Good. Let''s go there if you have nothing else to do."


    And like that, they left after Gale gobbled up his breakfast.

 Chapter 25 024 Stormhold, On Making (1)

    ?Gale had a peculiar feeling looking over all thend owned. Vale, his buddy, looked at him fondly and ran away, chasing after a couple of butterflies in the soothing sunshine, ignoring all the unfamiliar feelings his friend was having.


    So this will be my legacy, Gale thought. Gale couldn''t describe the emotions he was feeling inside. It was new and vulnerable.


    How pitiful!


    Gale ignored the voice in his head. He left the craftsman and his crew to their work and proceeded to check on the farmhouse. It was as Gale imagined Shi Fan was nowhere to be seen, though he found a lot of his things spread around the room. Shi Fan left those behind, though Gale reckoned he would being soon to take them back as they hold substantial value, though not as earth-shattering as pure crystals. Gale left it as it was for now and rested his bottom on the couch.


    He should be living here. Guess he should clean this up before that. The house wouldn''t take long, but the entire farnds? Yes, that would need some time and work. Well, he had the former in plenty and no problem with thetter. Besides, his power was a good fit for cleaning.


    It didn''t matter if it was underbrush, waste or evil practitioners.


    With that in mind, Gale started working, drawing power from his third fate-lock, Stormsong. Wisps of wind rose around his feet, blowing away all the dust and dirt slowly as Gale guided them out of the house.


    It was the second time Gale was using his third fate-lock aftering to this small town. First, it was during his trick to shut up the young master Han on the very first day. Tricks like those look effortless from the outside, but in practicality were way moreplicated. Gale needed to have fine control and precise intent to perform something like that, or he wouldn''t be able to affect the air to make him feel confined and out of air.


    In contrast, conjuring the wind to sweep the floor was way easy and effortless, to be honest. Gale barely needed to part with a simple intention and the dust was gone.


    I''m a walking-talking vacuum cleaner, Gale thought, much to his amusement.


    Well, he wasn''t storing the dirt inside his void lock. If he did, that would simply be too efficient. But his void space had better use than being a glorified vacuum cleaner. Practitioners were simply too efficient in everything. Perhaps that''s why artisans didn''t find the necessary to create too many sophisticated devices.


    Gale guided all the dust, dirt, and waste from corner to corner, one room to another, leaving a dust-free and rtively clean floor. It took him a little less than a quarter of an hour to clean all the floor and walls.


    The builders weren''t nearly done yet, currently measuring and calcting where Gale left them. Finding him looking with interest, Guo Zong, the apprentice artisan, jogged his way towards him, a merry smile glued to his lips. He really didn''t need to be there, as the framework and nning were the portions the master craftsman was in charge of.


    Moreover, even though he was an apprentice, his importance didn''t lose out to that of a master crafter. Scripting might be a hard path to walk, but it sure was rewarding.


    Consider, aputer as the work of a craftsman, then the operating system would be the work of an artisan also known as a scriber. Well, most scribblers tend to have some speciality in crafting as well, and then they were called artisans.


    Also, it was merely an example; they weren''t software engineers or coders. An artisan was capable of strengthening, adapting or even sharpening an item by scribing a few scripts on them. These were the basics. There were plenty of other magical scripts that could literally pale any twenty-first-century artillery of the earth inparison.


    "Master Gale," Guo Zong said, joining him, "the mansion will look good up there, like an abode for an old master, not that you''re old."


    He let out a joyous chuckle which made Gale reconsider the reason behind his presence here. Guo Zong truly had no business being here unless he wanted to know more about the artificial fate-lock core.


    Gale had divulged no answer regarding the item, save for the tests he demanded on it. Guo Zong didn''t even know he was standing next to an actual Master Artisan, no matter how much of a cker he was.


    Gale considered disclosing that, as it would give him enough weight to throw around in the guild. He could have many privileges with the many contacts he wanted. But wealth was well enough substitution for him.


    Although wealth wouldn''t make him a respectable figure, it could solve most of the problems. Besides, disclosing the matter of being a master scriber could create unwanted attention andplication which he was strongly against. His seniors back at the central domain would have an easier time finding him if he slipped out these little uniquenesses here and there.


    Well, Gale wouldn''t really be able to hide forever, nor would he want to. They would eventually find him. His clever false trail woulde to an end one day, probably within a year or two at best.


    And if it''s his master who finally has time to be disappointed in him, then that old shit would probably be in the Wang''s Inn now, preparing all the insults he would like to throw at him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale shook his head and turned to the overly enthusiastic middle-aged apprentice. His spirit arts weren''t anything unique, nor was his Intent anything special, albeit rather refined than most apprentice artisan Gale hade across. Well, he had time.


    If Gale had that many years, he would be a Gem-heart expert and a sage of something.


    Probably a sage of shit-talking, but a sage, nheless.


    This person had thirty years at the very least, yet his art remained unimpressive and obtuse. Gale hadn''t seen his work, but he could tell many things from the look of it. Guo Zong didn''t have or lost the zealous hunger that drives most practitioners to reach for the peak. Probably another side effect of staying in this backwater town.


    Well, who am I to criticise? I''m sure he did his best with what he had.


    Besides, scripts were highly guarded secrets that all artisans, sects, or ns treasured, like how Gollum treasured the ring. It had been going down for generations. One simply couldn''t hope to break it through sheer talent and potential.


    Guo Zong seemed to have made peace with himself and was satisfied with where he was now. Gale strongly needed to learn that, the former to be honest.


    "Well, Senior Zong," Gale addressed, not sounding any bit condescending. He didn''t really have to try as Gale hardly looked down on people unless you''re an imbecile like Young Master Han. "Do you have any instructions for me?"


    "Oh, Youngman, there''s no need to act so ceremonially with me," the apprentice said. "Everybody knows me as Old Zong in this town. Feel free to discuss any problems regarding your contracts. I''ll be the first to look into it."


    "Much appreciated, Old Zong," Gale smiled. "You don''t look that old, though."


    "Haha, I may not look like it, but I lived twice of your age, Youngman."


    "Well, Senior Zong, did your guild find out anything regarding the core?"


    "Unfortunately, no," Senior Zong said, shaking his head in regret. "Sadly, our little branch could neither afford a high enough ranked artisan nor the constructs for proofing."


    Gale raised an eyebrow. "But you took the fate-lock too easily."


    The apprentice coughed twice into his fist, looking rather embarrassed. "The receptionist probably mistook the artificial fate-lock for something else," he said, though he himself didn''t believe his words.


    "So now what?"


    "We''ll be sending it to the branch at Azure Park, where Master Artisan Huan Kelvis resides. It may take a while, but you''ll have your core back with all the test results you wanted."


    "How long do you think it will take?"


    "A month, at the very least."


    ________


    The third fate-lock name ''Stormrider'' has been changed to Stormsong. I think I have only mentioned the name once, you guys probably forgot about it.


    And I''ll ask for power stones and reviews again. Shower me with them if you can.

 Chapter 26 025 Stormhold, On Making (2)

    ?In the end, Gale refrained from disclosing any information regarding the fate-lock. His priority was peace, not throwing around weight. Besides, Gale liked to have a mysterious air around him.


    Vale seemed to like this ce quite a lot. Gale hadn''t seen him once after he ran off after some butterflies. The link told him he was in the woods too, but in a different direction.


    From the master crafter, Gale found the wood was full of ironwood trees and there weren''t many restrictions on the free use of the mountain resources. Ironwoods were a top-grade material for infrastructure and furniture. Probably the best thing the mountains could offer him.


    So Gale decided he wouldn''t be missing out on the free supply of ironwood. He left for the woods with the master crafter and his crew. He hadn''t really thought they would be so efficient on the job when Shi Jun mentioned picking ironwood from the woods. It was only noon of the first, and they had already made such progress.


    Spirit artists were just too efficient.


    Ironwoods were like oak trees, only sturdier and smaller. They grow only about a couple of dozen metres and bore fruits of no renown, but the woodpensated for everything.


    Gale stood on a branch of an ironwood tree, getting ready for work. He had no chainsaw, but a sword would suffice. The rest of the crew had huge axes as their tools. They divided themselves into teams of two, each team taking one single tree. Only Gale and the Master Crafter were on their own.


    A longsword appeared on Gale''s arm, not even the best weapon in his arsenal, but on the prospect of woodcutting, it would suffice. Then again, Gale wasn''t in the shape of using his best weapons.


    Qi surged through his body as Gale unlocked his second fate-lock, the Guardian Emblem. Within a couple of seconds, Gale''s physical strength became herculean, his veins sticking out more than usual. The power of the guardian pulsed through his arm to the weapon.


    Gale forced a substantial amount of the guardian''s uniqueness to the sword, enhancing all of its functions: sharpness, toughness, and Qi sustainability.


    After a few more seconds, the mad surge of power calmed and Gale was ready to chop off trees.


    One by one, he chopped off all the branches in clean strokes, leaving the naked trunk stuck to the earth. Gale came down to find a bunch of the crew members staring at him withplete puzzlement, axe in their hands.


    "What?" he asked, curious. "Never seen trees chopped off?"


    "The ironwood''s as hard as raw iron," one man asked. He''s bulky and red-faced and looked kind of like a bandit with the huge axe in hand. "How did you chop off the branches so easily?"


    "How, indeed," Gale said, turning to the huge stem remaining. "I had a lot of practice, I would say."


    The man, who asked, snorted. Hispanion next to him added with incredulity, "I bet it''s the sword. Don''t you see how it''s shining?"


    "Yeah, I bet it''s an artifact."


    Gale smiled. "True," he agreed, "it''s an iron-ranked artifact."


    "Must have cost a small fortune to make it, huh," said the red-faced man.


    Gale took a position, shoulder slumping, his grip tightening on the hilt of the long sword. He stood on the front foot forward, the back foot giving an extra elevation to his stroke.


    "What are the chances he would chop the tree in one clean stroke?" the red-faced man asked.


    "I''ll bet you ten marks, Shang," said hispanion. "He won''t make it."


    "Iron?"


    "Copper," snorted thepanion.


    "But he has an artifact," shouted another voice up on a tree at the back.


    "If it''s any other tree, I would''ve bet against Kongmin," Shang said. "But not with ironwoods. I fear even the Boss won''t make it with the sword."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Boss ain''t no fighter."


    Gale bit his lips quietly, concentrating. More Qi pulsed through the weapon as it beamed in faint blue light. He took a deep breath and swung, sword shing downer in a quick clean sh that eyes couldn''t follow.


    The stroke ended, but the stem still stood. Gale didn''t utter a word, poised in his position.


    "Told you--" the red-faced Shang couldn''tplete his phrase when the huge trunk moved,ing down to lean on the trees on the path.


    Gale remained calm and poised. If he had a sheath on his hips, he could''ve posed like an anime character, but s! He didn''t consider he would have a chance to show off.


    "So who''s giving money to whom?"


    The red-faced Shang was bbergasted, and so were the others who were watching. He crept from his tree to the one Gale chopped, staring at the clean sweep where the sword moved. His eyes moved from the cut to the sword multiple times.


    "Would you like to try?" Gale said, holding the sword towards the red-faced man.


    Shang threw him an incredulous look, but took the sword. He applied all the Qi he could muster with his iron-ranked strength as the sword shed in a red glow, far more vibrant than when it was with Gale.


    A brilliant smile crept on his lips as the power coursed through the sword. With the sword, Shang was like a child who tasted the sweetness of candy for the first time.


    He swung the longsword in a few mock moves, drawing a few snorts from hispanions.


    "Shang, that ain''t a toy," the man in the tree reminded.


    But Shang had better things on his mind than to notice anyone. He cut a few branches of the Ironwood with little effort, each one making himugh louder than before.


    The thrill was inevitable. Gale had to admit, there was really something about chopping something off. It was so hard with your bare arms, yet effortless with proper tools.


    Next, Shang positioned himself in front of the trunk of the ironwood he was supposed to chop off. Others watched and wagered, maintaining a safe distance. They had all seen artifacts on many asions, but such tools were way expensive for them to have. Besides, artifacts were dangerous.


    "I bet an iron mark he won''t make it," Kongminughed. "Who''s going to bet against me?"


    "I will," Shang said, his voice brimming with confidence.


    "I will ask advice from the sword owner," said another man, drawing his gaze at Gale, who was watching everything. "What do you think, Young Master? Will Shang make it?"


    Gale refrained from speaking at first, inspecting Shang''s stance. Shang had been taught swordsmanship at some point, though it should have been decades ago. Despite him keeping hisposure and bnce steady, Gale could tell the years-long inactivity with weapons had dulled the man. His stance was good enough, but his intent wasn''t clear.


    "I''m no seer," Gale said quietly. "He''s applying everything he can in the weapon, but the years-long passivity with a weapon did him a great disservice. Let''s see what happens."


    Shang swung almost at the same time Gale finished and also almost the same way Gale did, forcing his weight forward with the sword. But the result was different. Where Gale''s stroke was clean and invisible to the eye, the sword slowed down halfway into the trunk in Shang''s case.


    But the burly man wasn''t ready to give up. Shang pushed more energy into it as smoke came out, but the sword barely moved any further.


    "Haha, I won," Kongmin snickered.


    Shang was still at it for several seconds, almost at hisst shred of Qi. Only when he learned, he won''t be able to move any bit did his shoulders sag as his legs gave away. He exhausted his power a little too much, but would be fine after a few minutes of break.


    "It seems youck a bit of practice, my friend."

 Chapter 27 026 Stormhold, On Making (3)

    ?Shi Fan bit a peach, sitting atop a boulder. He hadn''t found time to practise his spiritual arts to consolidate the new rank yet, leaving him a bit queasy. He did have some squabbles with wild beasts, which let him have a better gauge of his strength.


    Well, he had a grasp over his physical body, which seemed to have taken the first big step of shedding the mortal coil into the realms of immortality.


    Sadly, it was still far away. Barely one out of a hundred thousand practitioners made it into Gold, and that''s not even a sliver of transcendency.


    Only Gemheart rank practitioners were true transcendence. Shi Fan once hoped he would reach there one day, but now it was a matter of life and death. His dead master was proof of that. He couldn''t always run away or hide in some ce like he was now.


    People were looking for him. It didn''t matter if it was because of his dead master, or the legacy and treasure he had taken with him.


    Shi Fan would need to use all his treasure and talent to advance as soon as possible to keep being alive. He couldn''t run away forever. Nor would Twilight be there every time to save his ass.


    As his thoughts drifted to Twilight, Shi Fan turned his head around, inspecting to see if he could find her anywhere. That woman was really like a ghost.


    She was invisible as the air. Well, she did remind him once in a while that she was there, so that Shi Fan wouldn''t try anything weird on his own. Not that he would try.


    Unknowingly, a sigh came out of his mouth as he leapt off the boulder. He should start preparing the meal now. The sun was getting low.


    "I don''t know what a boar will taste like," Shi Fan thought out loud, mostly to have any reaction from his invisible friend.


    On the way, Shi Fan came across a lot of wild animals. While most were coppers and ran away finding the wild air of iron rank around him, some dide intending to make trouble. The wild boar was one of the very few. It had been a tough challenge, but in the end, Shi Fan managed to defeat it single-handedly.


    Twilight didn''t show up and Shi Fan took that as an affirmation. ''Well, boar it is.''


    It was when his cooking was halfway done that Twilight finally showed up in her uniquely uncanny appearance. She was like a gothic presence in the colourful world.


    Shi Fan perked his head to look at her questioningly.


    "That dog you mentioned," she said, "it''s moving straight towards here."


    "Dog?" A sh of recognition painted on Shi Fan''s face as he lurched up. "A big white furry one?"


    "Yes."


    Shi Fan tilted his head, considering what to do, but his shy friend provided the answer for him.


    "I had spied on the dog''s master," Twilight said. "He''s probably a silver ranker and doesn''t seem to hold any interest in anything. I learned he had given up on advancing, and that''s why he had no interest in your treasure. As for the beast . . ."


    Her voice trailed off as Shi Fan considered how she came to this conclusion this early. It hadn''t even been three days since hemissioned her for work.


    "Bonded beasts tend to have a simr inclination to their master," Twilight continued. "The hound should be the same. Act natural, like how you usually do and be careful."


    Shi Fan nodded. "And what will you do . . ." before he could finish, the gothic presence already vanished from his sight.


    So she would watch, he thought. He really needed to develop some ability to detect her.


    Twilight used her presence to benefit, though it should be because she hated confrontation and had something to hide. Her actions were always quick and precise, and for that, she had to do a lot of homework. Then one or two sneak attacks or unexpected ambushes always put her in advantageous situations on most asions.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Well, at least, that''s what Shi Fan understood about her. He had seen her in action a few times, and that left him with enough assurance.


    As Shi Fan was deliberating about his option, an adorable furry beast crept into his view. But the cute looks wouldn''t deceive Shi Fan. He had suffered once for the mistake already. The dog had smacked him with no effort, taking advantage of a sneak attack. Although Shi Fan wasn''t sure how well he would do if the fight was fair.


    The dog was clearly more intelligent than most beasts he came across, though hadn''t shredded his beastly form yet. Well, some beasts tend to have a preference for their original form over being biped.


    Vale slowed down, sensing the familiar man before him. He inspected him, evident signs of intelligence in his eyes. The beast refrained from any action and looked around in confusion, as if looking for something.


    Shi Fan tensed. Is it looking for Twilight? He wondered, but discredited that thought instantly. Even gold rankers couldn''t find Twilight when she was at her best. As for this beast . . . Well, Shi Fan wasn''t really sure what rank it was, but he was sure it hadn''t reached gold yet.


    "Vale," Shi Fan called after a while, "are you lost?"


    The dog looked at him in confusion, then his eyes drifted off towards the meat hanging on the tree behind him. A sh of craving showed up in his eyes as he turned to the youth with his cute puppy eyes.


    Shi Fan had the urge tough. This thing could literally kill everyone in the town, yet looking at him so pitifully for the piece of meat.


    "Are you hungry?"


    "Woof!"


    That means yes, right? Shi Fan wondered. "Well, help yourself. I already have enough for myself and . . ."


    The dog woofed again, this time in gratitude. It scurried right past him to leap at the raw meat.


    ***


    Gale never had to look for Vale, save for the early days when their bond wasn''t that tight. But it looks like many things were changing after Gale got infected with corruption and went through the so-called "treatment".


    Gale could swear it hadn''t been this bad before the treatment, but everyone was so sure that the corruption would take control of him if left as it was. So they suppressed the corruption and in doing that, they also locked away most of his Qi.


    Well, technically, it wasn''t locked, but much of the Qi was busy fighting away the corruption. Gale wasn''t sure if this way was correct, but they sure hadn''t given him a second option.


    By them, he meant his master and senior brother and sister.


    Anyway, Gale never had to search for Vale, but today seemed to be the exception. After being done with the woodcutting, he expected hispanion toe back having fun in the wilderness, but the bond told him the big boy was still running around in the mountains. The mountains seemed to have sparked a wistfulness in him.


    The bond expressed no threat, which was good. Gale would only need to navigate the way the bond was pointing.


    Sadly, it wasn''t as good as GPS.


    _____________


    Thanks to everyone who supported withments and power stones.

 Chapter 28 027 Stormhold, On Making (4)

    ?After about an hour of creeping around the mountain range, Gale was sure Vale was ying with him. For thest hour, he had been running in circles, chasing the signs left behind by Vale.


    By the forgotten gods, Vale was too intelligent to lose his way, nor was he trying to run away as he hadn''t hidden his tracks or warded the bond. Could it be that he was chasing after something?


    Unwilling to waste any more time, Gale raised his speed, gliding through the tall trees with the help of his third fate-lock, Stormsong. On his good days, Gale''s speed could beparable to a fucking train, but he had to leave behind those days beforeing here.


    Now, Gale hardly had enough Qi to go on like an unfettered train for no more than a few seconds, but with his natural Qi regeneration speed, gliding at low speed wouldn''t be a problem.


    Besides, from above, Gale could avoid encircling the same spot again and again and choose the straightest path leading to Vale.


    It was by the evening, Gale had a tingling sensation, showing Vale was close. The sensation only got stronger as both parties wanted to find each other. A loud bark sounded out and then a small bonfire came into view as Gale sped up. Near the fire stood a man and a white furry hound.


    "Woof!" Vale barked in joy, sensing Gale through the link.


    Galended a respectful distance away, trying to appear as harmless as possible. People tend to do stupid things in fear or when threatened. Gale had a fair share of that experience.


    Vale lunged in the air, woofing all the way to jump at Gale in glee. The scene was quite like a lost child finding their parents. Vale licked Gale all over his face as the tired man caressed his friend.


    I always forget how young Vale is, Gale thought as his back hit the ground, Vale on top of him. No matter how magical and strong he was, Vale was still a juvenile, not even three years old.


    "Alright, alright, boy," Gale said, embracing and caressing Vale. "Looks like you have had enough of adventuring. What happened?"


    Vale stopped licking and looked at him intelligibly.


    "You got lost," Gale said.


    The dog nodded.


    "That doesn''t happen often, does it?" Gale muttered and stood up. He already noticed Shi Fan standing near the fire, evident uncertainty in his eyes. "Well, looks like you have found Shi Fan."


    The youth perked up at the mentioned, still looking lost on how to go on with the conversation. His mind told him to run away at this very moment, but then again, Twilight was lurking right around here somewhere.


    "Good evening,d," Gale greeted Shi Fan. "Looks like you still haven''t found time to practise. Your emotions are visible like a beacon to a Master. But don''t you worry, I ain''t no master. I can''t really feel the fear you hid underneath the courteous facade."


    Shi Fan breathed heavily, as sweat appeared on his forehead even though it was quite cold in the mountains. Some practitioners were terrible at hiding their nervousness, and Shi Fan was clearly one of them.


    He seemed to have created a facade as a defence mechanism, much like Gale in his younger days, but he was too passive and nowhere near as resourceful as Gale.


    Unfortunately, no master could teach things like those, though they could provide a lesson or two on hiding your emotions and intent.


    It took Shi Fan several seconds¡ªand discovering how Vale was giving Gale a mean look¡ªto find out the weird senior was merely jesting.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I guess your master wasn''t a big fan of concealment or aura training," Gale said and sighed. "I swear I''ve seen tavern wenches better at that than you. Don''t worry, boyo. I''m not here to steal your stuff. Well, that reminds me, you left behind some of your stuff at Xiaolin''s house. Will you take those back, or should I consider you left those behind for charity?"


    "I nned to move them after finding a suitable spot," Shi Fan said, taking a deep breath.


    "What? Here?" Gale looked bewildered. He guessed Shi Fan was going the old sage way of seclusion training in the mountains. Well, it''s not bad, the mountain could provide him with a challenging environment to refine his spirit arts. "It''s your decision. Come back to take your stuff whenever you like. I''m going to shift here . . . Probably this week."


    "Shift?"


    "Yup, I brought thend. Turns out thend here is quite cheap." Galeughed and rubbed Vale on the head.


    He found the meat Shi Fan was roasting. Three were actually a lot, too much for one person. Gale thought about joining and helping the boy with something, but decided against it, finding how ufortable Shi Fan was by his presence.


    "Your meal will be wasted soon. You better get busy with that."


    Shi Fan spun instantly. He totally forgot about the boar meat. It was almost ready. Shi Fan got them off the fire drudgingly. "Senior," he said with courtesy, "do you want to try some?"


    "I would like to, but I can''t. I need to return. People are waiting for me."


    "That''s a pity." Though his aura told otherwise.


    Gale smiled. "Anyway, you took care of Vale in my absence. Thank you for that."


    "It''s nothing really, Senior," Shi Fan said. "It is a junior''s duty to listen to their seniors, even though sometimes the instructions are unuttered."


    "That seemed like a profound saying. I wish I could agree." Gale stretched as he continued. "I don''t hold much respect for the elderly. Still, benignity is a virtue to have, never lose sight of it."


    "I will put senior''s advice to good use," Shi Fan said genuinely.


    Gale scoffed. "Even the likes of me can spout out good advice on rare asions. The point is: never give up. Try a bunch of them. Maybe one of them will stick."


    Vale nudged him on the leg as if telling Gale that he was ruining the moment.


    "Anyway, we''re off. Good night, boyo. Don''t forget to work on your aura control. Feel free to ask me for any help."


    Saying that, the man and the beast disappeared into the darkness.


    Shi Fan sighed in relief and turned, only to lunge up in horror. His shy friend was standing right behind him, watching the distant darkness.


    "What that man said is true. You truly need to have some control over your emotions."

 Chapter 29 028 Stormhold, On Making (5)

    ?Shi Fan chewed the meat slowly, stealing nces at Twilight, who for the first time dined together with him. Well, she was still ten paces away with her solitary, gothic presence. Even though they were sitting together, Twilight seemed to reside in a totally different realm. Different from everyone else.


    Shi Fan chewed and thought about an opening. Atst, he opened with what he was curious about. "How do I conceal my emotions from my aura?"


    He wasn''t really aware your aura gave away your emotions before, but now that he thought about it, all of that made sense. This was probably how some people could read thoughts. Shi Fan didn''t need to be a mind reader, he needed to conceal his emotions from his aura.


    He really had his hands full with Qi training and now it seemed it wasn''t even the most important aspect. Shi Fan waited attentively.


    Twilight remained silent for a while, focused on the meal. She ate without making a sound as the campfire barely illuminated her. He still couldn''t see her face. It was only when she was done with the food did she open her mouth. And it came with a question.


    "What is the most important thing a practitioner can cultivate?"


    Shi Fan contemted the question for several seconds. He considered whether the question was rhetorical. But knowing Twilight, Shi Fan was certain that she wouldn''t want any profound answer. Virtue is the most important thing any practitioner could cultivate. And what not.


    Twilight always meant business.


    So, eliminating all the options, he came up with the only option remaining. "Intent."


    "Intent." Twilight nodded. "What is intent?"


    "The intention behind any action," Shi Fan said simply. He drew a burning wood from the fire. "In spirit arts, it''s the intent that does half the work. Like now, I wanted this stick to stop burning. That is my intent. So I visualised my Qi intending to restrict all the air surrounding the fire."


    The fire stopped shortly after as Shi Fan tossed the wood back into the fire.


    "Intent is the refined visualisation method of all spirit arts."


    "There you have it," Twilight agreed.


    Shi Fan perked on his spot, a bit dismayed that she hadn''t given a straightforward answer. He really had enough of the rhetorical teaching. Well, it wasn''t as bad as his teacher.


    "So you mean, I have to refine my intent more to hide my emotions from my aura?"


    "No," Twilight disagreed. She looked somewhat lost for the first time, probably wondering if she should advise him more. "You have to refine your emotions into intent, just like you do with your mental image or visualisation you call it."


    "Ahh," Shi Fan hummed as understanding blossomed in his mind. Then he became lost again. "How do I refine my emotion into intent?"


    He didn''t get any answer this time, only a shake of the head before the solitary figure disappeared into thin air.


    Shi Fan groaned. It seemed being masterless has its own drawbacks.


    ***


    "Achoo!"


    Vale cocked his head as Gale sneezed for the second time. The mountain was a bit cold, there''s no denying that, but Gale wasn''t a normal person to sneeze just because of some cold.


    After iron, a practitioner couldn''t get normal affliction. Well, they could if they desired, but the curative for such affliction was twice as easypared to getting it.


    Gale was neither a sicko nor had the desire to be one. But it''s not cold, either.


    "Could be an after-effect of drinking gold spirit wine," he muttered and forgot about it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    When Gale returned to the farnd, the sky was full of stars apanying two half moons. The red moon would appear hourster during midnight, but by then one of the other two would disappear.


    Bugs started chorusing together, creating an irresistible cacophony. Gale found three men, sitting near the abandoned house, ying cards. They were Shi Jun, the master craftsman, and his two underlings, Shang and Kongmin. The rest had already left while the three of them waited for him.


    "Ah,d," Kongmin called. "If you have taken a bit longer, we might have gone to assist you in the search."


    "Are you two alright?" the master crafter asked, inspecting both of their aura with a naked psychic scan.


    Gale didn''t say anything, as the inspection was like a polite nudge, not trying to diverge into anything secret or private. "We''re fine. Are you guys ready to leave?"


    Only the master crafter joined Gale as he moved towards the carriage.


    "They will stay here," Shi Jun told him. "The ironwoods we collected will be a small fortune to anyone, even though you stored quite a number of them inside your dimension storage. I trust people''s integrity, but it''s better to be prepared. Besides, Grandma Wang warned me of the issues you might be facing."


    Gale nodded in understanding. He had indeed stored dozens of logs inside his void-lock. He only stopped when he ran out of space. Still, his possession of the void-lock made the job easier for the men.


    Gale couldn''t wait to release most of the items out of his void-lock. Itcked cleaning for years.


    "Grandma Wang seemed sure there will be no issue in broad daylight," the master crafter cued.


    "You know Grandma Wang?" he paused. "That''s a stupid question. It''s a small town."


    "And she introduced spirit art to me when I was young," Shi Jun added.


    The master crafter proceeded to ready the horses, as Gale moved toplete onest job for the day. He crept along with Vale to the edge of the fence and brought out a wooden te where written in bold words:


    PRIVATE PROPERTY


    STORMHOLD - ON MAKING


    Below that, he left behind his signature full of his intent. Gale had worked on the signboard during the lunch break. He imprinted some scripts to make it indestructible to most natural elements.


    "Vale, do you want your sign here, too?"


    "Woof!"


    Gale stooped to hold the wooden te as the dog scratched his ws right next to Gales. It was full of intent, too.


    Gale stuck the signboard high in the fence. Together with Vale, he gave it a look along with the vast space behind it.


    ___________


    Alright, the book got sessfully contracted. You guys can throw away golden stones as much as you can.


    Also, the contract thing brought a few changes. First, what it means to me, well, I have to be more regr and have a proper schedule of updates. That''s not really my strong suit. I''ll see what I can do. Not promising my best yet.


    Anyway, the book will go premium at some point. You know what it means. The chapters will be locked, and you''ll need freepass or coins to unlock them.


    Thank you.

 Chapter 30 029 Each With Their Own (1)

    ?Xiaolin kept her calm as Grandma Wang discussed various topics with Sun Ziang. Honestly, she didn''t know what she was doing there. Grandma asked for her presence and she could only oblige.


    Other than being a proud member of the great Sun Family, Sun Ziang was a young enforcer. Well, she wasn''t aware of how great the Sun n was, but Grandma Wang said so, so it should be. One thing she learned during her stay at Wang''s Inn was not to question Wang Yushen.


    Perhaps the Sun n was only below the royal family.


    But if so, it was too weird for someone like Sun Ziang to be deployed to Wayshire. It was only after listening to them silently, Xiaolin found out, Sun Ziang''s stationing in this town wasn''t in fact coincidence, but part of a punishment.


    It didn''t seem like that big of a punishment from her perspective. Then again, she was aware practitioners had pride as high as heaven to take anything lightly. So far, the noble son had only been polite, but the indication of deep-rooted pride wasn''t hidden from her eyes.


    Unlike the other foreigner, who rmended to never take himself seriously, Sun Ziang''s behaviour and manners all were of a higher standpoint. Well, at least he wasn''t an arrogant prick like Han Xiao.


    Sun Ziang was calm and more graceful than any princess. Yet instead of adoration, all Xiaolin felt was envy. Envy of that beautiful silver hair, and bright milky skin. She wondered if she was in her right mind.


    Another thing she was jealous of was his standing of silver rank. Xiaolin only knew one person who was silver beside him, and she was sitting together with her right now. But Grandma Wang was super old, probably ten times her age, while Sun Ziang was four or five years older at the best.


    "So you won''t tell me why you''re being punished?" Grandma said in her elderly tone.


    "I have done nothing wrong," Sun Ziang said as a matter of fact. His voice seemed cool, yet it came as hard and stern.


    Unlike the other foreigner that found his way into the town, Sun Ziang wasn''t verymunicative, whereas Gale seemed to hit it off with anyone he desired. Both of their personalities were quite opposite of how they were viewed from the outside.


    Sun Ziang had the exterior of a peerless practitioner, proud, polite and seemed easy to talk to, but he wasn''t. On the other hand, Gale seemed stern and contemtive most of the time, totally unapproachable as he grew his beard. Well, it''s not that Gale wasn''t good-looking, practitioners seldom weren''t. Anyone who could advance to iron had their bone structure redefined in the realms of perfection.


    Gale was sharp-featured, like a cranky old man with a weird sense of humour. But he was an utterly affable fellow, even though he looked like he would murder anybody for the smallest offence sometimes.


    "I hope this little adversity presents an opportunity to learn something new." Grandma shook her head and changed the topic. "Anyway, the reason I called you."


    Grandma gestured towards her, making Xiaolin sit straighter even though she was at a right angle on the floor.


    "Xiaolin has a particr deficiency in her physique. She can absorb energy at a far superior pace than anyone in her station should, however, any Qi she cultivates leaks out of her body over time."


    Sun Ziang frowned. "I don''t know if I was the right person for you to ask for advice in this, Grandma Wang. However, if you want, I can ask Aunt Min. She''s one of the best we have who studies healing arts."


    "I''ll be grateful if you do so," Grandma said, and bowed. Xiaolin followed as well, bowing. "The world will miss out on her talent if we leave her like this. At the age of thirteen, she tapped into a deep meditative state. I can proudly and vainly say Xiaolin is my most ingenious student."


    Sun Ziang gave Xiaolin a long look, a bit surprised. "Touching deep meditation at thirteen, that''s even rare in our n."


    Xiaolin only managed a rueful smile. Her talents, which others were so envious of, meant ultimately nothing to her after so many years of being useless.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "To another topic," Grandma continued, sipping in hot tea, "what can you tell me about those fake fate-locks."


    "Ahh, you know about those shady organisations selling fake fate-locks as artificial fate-locks?" Sun Ziang raised an eyebrow. "I know little about those fakers, only that they profited off of the demand of the market. Their business is still going on as far as I know. If you want to buy artificial ones, then I''ll advise you to go through the artisan guild''s channel."


    Wang Yushen frowned. All she heard was news to her. She literally called the artificial fate-locks as fake as they weren''t the genuine product, but it seemed there was another fiasco about the product.


    Counterfeit of counterfeit products. Can you believe it?


    "And the artificial ones?" Grandma asked, acting cool. "What are your views on those?"


    "Honestly, I think they will change and redefine how we practise spirit arts in theing centuries," Sun Ziang said, gaining a surprised look from the old woman. "True, higher level artificial fate-locks aren''t possible yet, but Mother seemed to see great value in it. Many of my brothers, sisters, and cousins were sent outside to learn to script and widen their view of the artificial fate-locks."


    "Outside?" Grandma Wang intoned. "Outside of Tianhui?"


    "Obviously," Sun Ziang chimed, his voice calming yet a flicker of pride leaking out in his tone. "Tianhui is still bent on the old ways, and honestly, our n, too. Thankfully, our n isn''t dependent on Tianhui. We have a solid standing in the Central region and the South to be aware of how the world is changing behind the curtains."


    "Isn''t south a wastnd?" Xiaolin couldn''t help but ask.


    "Most of it, yeah," Sun Ziang agreed, "but the South is also the biggest source of spirit marks."


    "So, ording to what you know," Grandma asked, confirming, "artificial fate-locks are a viable option?"


    "Certainly," Sun Ziang said, waiting no longer. "It is only the inner contempt and inessibility that''s stopping us. Just think about it. How hard is it to train spirit artists? There''s no shortage of talented and hard-working individuals, only the resources to train them. You cannot provide everyone with valuable fate-locks or the opportunity to understand universalws. Even as I''m now waiting to get my third fate-lock. Even though some people will disagree, practising spirit arts is a race to climb the peak. If an artificial fate-locks gives me the means to climb the peak, I''ll rightfully take them."


    Grandma nodded. She hasn''t expected such an exaggerated reply. "What is your mother''s view on this?"


    "Mother thinks the new technology will take the world by storm when it hits the market in mass."


    Grandma Wang grew contemtive hearing him out. Her gaze drew towards Xiaolin who was lost in thoughts. "Your mother is hardly ever wrong, so I guess I can take her word for it."


    "Yes," Sun Ziang affirmed as something sharp grew in his eyes. "Mother is never wrong."


    ___________


    This chapter sequence is to establish everyone''s inner conflict and makes them a bit more dynamic. Well, I''m trying and will try more to make it moreplicated.


    Thank you for the power stones.

 Chapter 31 030 Each With Their Own (2)

    ?There were two main reasons Gale came to this town, even though the world had so much to offer. The first was obvious. Gale was tired and needed a quiet ce to settle. As for the second, it was even simpler.


    Gale loved to travel a lot and the home of the very first school of spirit arts was one ce he had on his bucket list for a while. The Eastern domain had intrinsic pride over their spiritual art heritage for a reason, after all. They were the first people to discover a viable path to spirit art, whichter moulded the path to divinity.


    Gale had already visited the first home of spirit arts beforeing to Wayshire, which left only the first reason he was still in town. So far the town showed promise to fulfil the first reason. The people were nice, and Gale hadn''t even dipped much into the local cuisine.


    However, that changed when some blokes attacked the carriage he was in with Shi Jun, the Master Crafter, on the way back to the town.


    Gale and hispanion Vale were toote to discover the first attack when fire arrows struck the carriage, breaking the back wheel and the fulcrum. The carriage broke down as multiple arrows infused with tyrannical Qi traversed through the darkness to find their way towards the broken-down carriage.


    Gale waste to stop the first-round attack, but he wouldn''t be the second time. Lightning shed in his eyes as he lurched from his spot. A wild surge of Qi pulsed out of his body, working reflexively to create a Qi shield.


    Gale might have failed to make it work on time on his own, but fortunately, he was not alone. Vale joined him as the shield took shape, enveloping the broken carriage and horses, which were squirming on the ground.


    "Bandit?" Gale asked Shi Jun, who was ready with arge sledgehammer in his hand.


    "Probably," the master crafter said, "though I have my doubts."


    He shoved his foot on the door to break free out of the carriage. Gale followed behind in tows with the hound.


    "How long will your shieldst?" Shi Jun asked, his eyes scanning all around to look for the hidden culprits.


    Gale found holes in the shield, with arrows sticking out. The bandits weren''t fools. They attacked the same spot repeatedly to break the shield. If it weren''t for Vale, the shield would copse even before forming.


    "Enough time for them to lose the advantage," Gale said and turned to Vale. "Protect the driver."


    "Woof!" Vale sprinted to where the driver fell. Fortunately, he was only unconscious, not dead, though they couldn''t say the same for one of the horses. It was way past saving.


    Gale supported the other horse to stand back up on its feet. He dropped the Qi shield on one side to let the horse run away. Taking care of that, he too came out with the master crafter, who sprinted right past him towards the bandits in the open.


    "You guys almost ruined my good tunic," Gale grumbled, but soon he had to spring out of the way as a fiery arrow shot passed him, missing him by only a few inches.


    Shaking his head, Gale looked at the archer who shot at him. He was currently fumbling with another arrow.


    A predatory smile crept on Gale''s lips as Qi surged through his legs. He released Stormsong for a moment as wild wind Qi shove him in the archer''s direction.


    The next moment, Gale was right before him, his foot in a position to shove the copper practitioner to the ground. Gale followed the move with some mercy, but the man didn''t move again. Unconscious, with multiple ribs cracked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale didn''t have time to waste, as there were more of the bandits left to take care of. He spun, his right arm shing recklessly in the air to catch an arrow. The attacker was another copper ranker, but much younger, probably of Xiaolin''s age.


    The young bandit was clearly nervous after seeing how Gale manoeuvred his arrow. He didn''t shoot again, turned his head and fled with everything he had.


    Gale refrained from chasing as there were iron rankers around to take care of. The Master Craftsman was already engaged with one of the Iron rankers and was holding his own.


    Gale didn''t need to worry about Shi Jun. He released Stormsong in quick session to move in the air, dodging the arrows. He took care of another copper ranker, shoving the arrow into his gut until an iron ranker tailed behind him with a bastard sword.


    Gale brought out his Iron-ranked sword too and matched with the bandit, wisps of Qi rushed, surrounding the contact of the swords. They exchanged over a dozen moves in mere seconds, but within them Gale managed to draw a bloody wound on his opponent''s lower body, using his superior agility.


    He did that while constructing multiple unstructured Qi shields to obstruct the arrows¡ªothers were shooting at him. Within a few seconds, all the bandits knew they weren''t a match.


    "Withdraw!" screamed the bloody-legged iron ranker. "We need to withdraw!"


    "If only it is so easy," Gale muttered. He mmed the sword against the sober iron ranker, flinging him away to advance to the annoying counterparts still firing arrows, even though Gale''s Qi Shield rendered them all useless.


    "Whose bright idea was this?" Gale asked, but he didn''t stop for an answer, though. It was one of the tactics of his younger days. Talk shit to your enemies to confuse them. You''d think only fools would fall for that, but you''d be surprised to know the result. "I''ll spare you if you answer."


    The copper ranker was scared shitless, discovering the towering fellow flying towards him with a longsword glowing in blue light. The sword wasing exactly towards his neck.


    "It''s the boss," he screamed. "He decides everything. Please, I don''t know anything."


    The bandit closed his eyes as the sword drew closer, yet nothing happened after a couple of seconds passed. Sobbing in relief, the bandit opened his eyes to peek, but before he could sense anything, a fist smashed him in the eye like an iron club, rendering him senseless on the spot.


    "Here''s your spare," Gale said, tossing a few spare copper marks on the unconscious bandit.


    ____________


    The fight scene isn''t finished, and a few things you guys should know, I hate thezy xianxia fight where the MC screams moves like ''Soaring Dragon Sword'' and the opponent trash-talks for a minute about how superior his technique is and screams back, "Take my ''Mountain Crumbling Fist''.


    Yes, there will be techniques and skills, but not like most tranted Xianxia books do. I''m not saying they were bad. I remember getting excited about such moves in my early days as a reader. Anyway, I might use those things as a parody at some point.


    Thanks for donating power stones. You guys are awesome.

 Chapter 32 031 Each With Their Own (3)

    ?Gale acted quickly, sparing as much Qi as he could in case something developed unexpectedly. Although he hadn''t even used his trump cards, which could''ve solved the problem within seconds, it would drain him a lot as well.


    Gale liked to be ready for anything unexpected. He nned to have more than half of his reserve of Qi after being done with the bandits.


    The bandits had no solution to deal with his mobility. Their arrows were either neutralised by Qi Shields, or Gale just dodged, releasing his third fate-locks in small releases.


    True, he could shove aside anything in his path with Wind Qi, but that would cost a lot of Qi. Gale wouldn''t be against it if he had full ess to his Qi. But he couldn''t do anything about it, could he? Thus, he had to put his gold constitution to work.


    The sword helped remarkably, actually. It was not really anything fancy. Gale barely put together a bunch of scripts and good steel into making it. Yet none of the bandits could stop it.


    It''s not the sword, but the wielder, his master had told him. Gale scoffed inwardly. He could only move unfettered because this was a backwater town.


    The second iron ranker fell to his de, blood smearing in the air, leaving only three stray copper rankers.


    Gale released Stormsong and flew towards one. He shoved his knee into the copper ranker''s gut, shattering all his defence, but it didn''t end there. Gale picked up the bloke in the air and tossed him at another bandit next to him.


    "Ahhh," thest of the bandits screamed, dropping his bow, frozen on his spot.


    "Run," Gale told him with a predatory smile, pulling an arrow and bow from the ground.


    The bandit didn''t wait for Gale to aim at him. He bolted with all his might into the darkness.


    Gale''s eyes narrowed, and he aimed at the running man. On second thought, he didn''t shoot the poor bandit, but turned the arrowhead in the other direction towards where Shi Jun and the other iron ranker fought. Gale shot.


    The Qi-infused arrow sprang into motion and struck straight into the legs of thest iron-ranked bandit who was fighting Shi Jun. A sh of pain and disorientation took over the bandit boss as he couldn''t stop or dodge the iing hammer that wasing at his ribs.


    The sledgehammer hit with a loud thud, shattering all the bone and Qi defence in the way, shoving the bandit in the air.


    Shi Jun gasped and turned to look at Gale and all the bodies on the ground. His eyes seemed to hold many questions, but queasy to ask.


    "I guess that took care of everything," Gale said.


    Gale dropped the bow and put his palms into his pocket. Moving in front of the bandit boss, Gale stooped, examining how much damage the bandit had taken. The bandit would obviously die if left like this. An iron body sure was magical, but wasn''t that miraculous. The bandit still had a few questions to answer, though it looked like Gale wouldn''t get them anytime soon.


    The bandit groaned, squirming on the ground. The arrow was still stuck to his leg, his mouth bloody, hyperventting. It seemed the hammer didn''t just shatter his ribcage. Gale put his palm on his chest to see if his situation was salvable or not.


    Luckily, it seemed the master crafter had shown some mercy, or he was simply incapable of the feat, being a man of creation. An Iron ranker''s heart was more resilient than any normal person, but it was still troublesome when it punctured.


    Gale was about to proceed with the basic treatment, but something on the back caught his attention.


    "Stop!" yelled someone from the back where Gale left Vale with the driver.


    Gale turned to find the same boy that ran away hade back with all the little resolve he had. He was currently holding Vale and the driver hostage at swordpoint.


    "Leave them alone," the boy screamed, threatening with the sword, "or I''ll kill them."


    Vale was looking at the boy with puppy eyes. Everyone else would presumably think the dog was scared, but the truth waspletely different. Vale was disappointed with the boy.


    "Boy," Gale yed along, standing up, "have you ever killed anyone before?"


    "They are the infamous mewolf gang," Shi Jun added as he came forward. His hammer was ready for a swing at any mistake. "Looting, robbing, plundering, murdering, arsoning honest people''s house and business, or defiling mortal women, nothing is below them."


    A frown crawled up in Gale''s brows. Did he mistake to show them mercy? Anyone of such crimes deserves to die in the standard of this world''s regtion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And to his standard too, after everything he worked for.


    Nobody would even lift an eye if he killed them all here, but that''s not Gale. Not anymore.


    Over thest six years, the number of people he had to kill were in thousands, a may of them for even less offence than these bandits.


    Before deciding to start a new life, Gale had decided he would stay away from killing if he could. He knew he couldn''t go back to the old days, where his only struggle had been keeping a good grade in school.


    ''Now I know how stupid that promise to myself was.''


    Well, it''s not like he had taken a soul oath. It was more like a newyear resolution--he had failed to keep them most of the time.


    His whole life was shrouded in mistakes, yet he never failed to make new ones.


    Unconsciously, Gale looked at Vale, who gave him sad puppy eyes, though they didn''tck determination.


    It was so easy to lose the way, Gale thought.


    "We have nevermitted such a heinous act," the boy said, his voice quivering.


    And with that reply, Gale found out the weakness of the boy bandit. He was terribly na?ve to be a bandit.


    "What? You never robbed people? Murder them for their wealth?"


    "We have never defiled mortals," the boy added furiously.


    "I guess that pardons every other crime your gangmitted," Gale snorted. His posture changed from the stout fighter to the easygoing one.


    "The martial world is ruled by the strong," the boy said firmly. "Either you devour the others, or get devoured by them."


    "By that rule, I should''ve killed you all," Gale added simply. He wasn''t really trying to win the argument or catch his attention to save Vale and the driver. To be fair, Vale hardly needed to be saved. The Guardian Dog wasn''t a killer, but he could act against threats promptly.


    "Perhaps you should have, but you didn''t," the boy said. "It is your weakness, your failure, to follow through with your actions that put you in this circumstance. Now let them go, or I''ll kill them both. I''ll only count to five."


    Gale shook his head in disappointment and whistled for Vale to do his thing, though it came as a sneeze.


    "Five," the boy counted. "Four . . . Thr--"


    "Rawr!" A white figure lurched from behind the boy bandit and rammed against him, flinging him away before the boy could even yelp.


    And with that everything was taken care of. Almost.


    "What should we do about them?"


    The Master Crafter, who was rigid the whole time, sighed in relief. "People tend to take mercy as a weakness," he mumbled idly, "a mortal failing. Let''s take them to the enforcers, they have plenty of crimes in their names that needed addressing."


    _________


    Quite a number of typos have been fixed, though there were still some, I failed to notice. Feel free to point it out if you find one.

 Chapter 33 032 Each With Their Own (4)

    ?It would have taken a lot of time to drag along all the bandits to the enforcer''s office with the carriage being broken. But Gale wasn''t irresponsible enough to leave them to their devices or kill them in cold blood.


    The justice system was put in ce for a reason. Terrible things tend to happen when loose practitioners take things into their hands. No matter if you''re a righteous fool or an evildoer.


    Although Gale wasn''t sure about Tianhui''sws and regtions, he was certain it was the right move to drag them to the enforcers'' office, no matter how long it would take. Shi Jun advised in that direction as well.


    Also, Sun Ziang was the newly appointed enforcer whom Gale was mildly familiar with. That fellow seemed like the right kind of person to take care of things like this.


    The journey back would have been a drag. Thankfully, they found a carriage from a farm after moving a few miles. The farmer wasn''t ready to let go of his carriage to suspicious-looking people who were dragging a handful of wounded fellows. After knowing the people were all practitioners, he was scared shitless.


    Luckily, some iron marks helped to lift the farmer''s spirit.


    Gale didn''t take chances for the rest of the journey. Shi Jun took the reins and Gale watched over the captives. Meanwhile, Vale watched for the ambush, following the carriage on foot.


    Gale spent the rest of the journey studying, sitting in the middle of the bandits. Most of them were spent and strained to anything, but still he bound them all together. The Boss bandit was probably crippled for life, though worse fate awaited him and everyone else of his group.


    The Xianxiand was brutal with their punishment. Shi Jun informed him that most of the bandits would be executed after their crimes getting addressed.


    As for answers, he got a few. Supposedly, through some channels the Firewolf gang learned Gale had a dimensional bag with him, full of treasures. Gale wondered how that information got out. As far as he was concerned, he hadn''t unted his wealth here yet.


    The bandits refrained from pointing out where they got the information about him, but he had his suspicions. All they could tell him was that someone tipped their boss about him.


    A copper-ranked foreigner, or Iron at best with a lot of treasure with him. That seemed like a juicy enough target for the bandits.


    Getting the bandits to the Enforcer''s office was troublesome, but it turns out making the enforcer avable to listen to him was another trouble on its own.


    Unfortunately, the righteous son of the Sun n wasn''t present. Gale took a mental note to remind the bloke when he met him again at the inn.


    As for the recordings, he let Shi Jun throw the weight of the artisan''s guild to clear things up. Gale left after making sure everything was taken care of and the convicted were locked up. Their crimes would be addressed afterward and would be dealt with ordingly.


    Unless someone pulls the string from the dark. That would be intriguing. If the people behind let the bandits die so easily, like pawns on the board of chess, then it would be difficult for him to go after them legally.


    However, would he like to go after the masterminds? That''s not really his job. The only reason he came to this town was seeking peace.


    "I''m tired of this shit," Gold told his buddy as they returned to the inn.


    The Inn remained in stillness with the regr connoisseur of cheap liquor already departed. Wang Li was in her usual spot, Rong''er on herp as they were studying.


    "Atst, you came back," Wang Li said. "Didn''t you go just to check the site?"


    "I did," Gale said with a smile, "and then we decided to go woodcutting. That took some time. We would''ve returned by sundown, but Vale got lost in the mountains and we came across a minor issue on the way back, which dyed the journey."


    "Seemed like you had a busy day."


    "Tell me about it." Gale sighed. "Is Sun Ziang here?"


    "Why?" she asked, a wicked smile creeping to her lips. "You two want to revisit your interest? Together?"


    Gale groaned. "Nah, I just beat up a bunch of bandits on the way back. I thought it would be better to tell him about it."


    "What?!" Wang Li sprang up from her seat. She inspected him thoroughly only to find bloodstains on his tunic. No visible injuries as far as she could see. "Bandits. Are you hurt?"


    "Not even a scratch, but they did kill one horse, though."


    "Bandits. They usually don''t act in the open. At least not in the town," the innkeeper muttered, and remembered the question. "Sun Ziang''s not here. He left, too, right after you departed."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "He''s not in the enforcer''s office, either," Gale mumbled. "Anyway, did you keep the Inn open only for me?"


    "And my husband," Wang Li said and let out a sigh unconsciously.


    "Well, I''ll leave you to it then," Gale said and walked towards the bath. Vale trailing along.


    "Remind me tomorrow. You still owe me three cups of hot choctes," Wang Li added.


    "Sure. I''m off to the bath."


    Gale needed a bath. Though he was rtively clean, there was blood on his tunic. He just needed a few minutes of rxation soaked in hot water to refresh himself. Today, Gale would indulge himself a little more.


    That was the first fight he was in after what happened to him. His hands hadn''t wavered, and he was absolutely certain they wouldn''t if he had to kill them all. Honestly, it would''ve been easier.


    Gale still wasn''t used to being weaker. Power is a terrible thing. Once you tasted true power, there was no going back.


    "Woo!" Vale rubbed his fluffy head on his legs, finding him distressed.


    "It''s nothing."


    ***


    Gale was stretched like a dead corpse inside the stone bath. He wasn''t really that tired, just mentally exhausted. Unfortunately, there was nothing ''just'' about being mentally exhausted.


    The bath relieves his spirit somewhat, but the mental exhaustion never goes away. It came back every other day to torment him quietly again.


    Gale was just loosening up when echoes of loud bickering entered his ears. The female voice seemed to be Wang Li''s and the other one was probably her husband''s.


    Gale was sure of it as more of the arguments came to his ears. Wang Li seemed to be angry because her husband camete and many other things. Women tend to bring up everything during arguments.


    However, her husband wasn''t in the mood to listen. He shouted back equally as the argument went back and forth.


    Eventually, Gale ignored them, shaking his head. He took a deep breath and submerged in the water.


    Life is exhausting.


    _________


    Writing is exhausting.


    I don''t know if it''s my failings, or readers pulling stuff out of nothing. This concerns the few voices I got in thements in thest chapter. I know a lot of you are fine with it, but I think it''s good to make a few things clear. This is for yesterday''s mimunication through the chapter and the ones toe. (All the mimunication came from a different site, but I thought it would be better to make things clear everywhere.)


    Here it goes.


    This is not a grim dark fantasy. There will be asional death and killing, but nothing too dark.


    I have a terrible habit of moralising characters, no matter how bad they seem. I think evil without a reason and morality is stupid andzy.


    Also, bonding Vale, Gale got the Guardian Emblem. Another thing to know about fate-locks is that not all of them are free of cost. The guardian emblem isn''t for killing, but protecting. Still, Gale could''ve killed those bandits if he wanted and there wouldn''t be any cost. The bond would  only weaken in wanton killing and works more on the psychological level.


    Basically, if Gale thinks the killing is worth it or justified, there won''t be any problem.


    We''ll go into details of those restriction onter chapters.

 Chapter 34 033 Each With Their Own (5)

    ?Gale awoke among the dead, his chest heaving up and down to breathe air. The biting cold air made his heart shiver as he spasmed to rise from the corpses enveloping him.


    ck menacing clouds swirled in the sky, as tremors of red lighting shed frequently. The deady in silence as if the great cataclysm descended on the world and destroyed everything for all the sins we havemitted.


    Gale crawled through the mutted corpses, his injuries, and exhaustion wasn''t making it any easier. His head was heavy, mind dull as he was drained of everything during the battle.


    Blood of different colours, red, orange, and purple smeared everywhere. A ghastly reek stretched in the vastnd of the battlefield. Gale had the terrible foreboding that he was the only one who survived.


    The battle was abandoned hours ago.


    They have won, if you call such a terrible sight a win, that was.


    Mustering the bit of strength that he recovered, Gale stumbled up to lean against the huge corpse of a Thunderfiend. An eight-foot tall spear stood proudly on the homogenous fiend''s gorged head.


    Thunderfield was massive, stone-like skin painted in faint red and purple, eyes glowing red even in death, albeit a bit dull. Sharp protrusions had grown out of its body, as well as tens of tentacles spread from its body like razor whips, giving a menacing vibe to this demon. All of that was equally deserved.


    When Gale sighted the Thunderfiend for the first time, a primal fear had overtaken him. Gale froze during the fight, just getting overwhelmed by its frightening aura. But now that it was dead and Gale being exhausted to no end, he didn''t really have any more energy left to be frightened.


    Gale still wasn''t particrly sure how he had killed such a creature. But the scenes of thousands of life ravaged by this fiendish creature remained clear to him.


    Gale eventually managed to deal with it, but it was already toote. The monstrosity had caused over thousands of casualties. These men and women, they listed under him, not in the feign dream of glory, but just to survive.


    Gale failed them there miserably.


    ''It''s the mortal''s destiny to die,'' A voice told him in his head. Gale was too tired to think too much of it. Red lightning shed in the sky, as a deafening roar of thunder echoed throughout the ckenednd. ''It is the mortal''s fate to fail as well. But you, dear, have shown me something I was not certain possible. I. Cannot. Wait."


    Gale shivered as the voice finished. He looked up at the gathering storm. It was rising by every second, spreading all around the sky, preparing to overtake thend on its release.


    And it did take over thend in its torrential forces, red lightning shing all around, booming in its inglorious wake.


    Gale watched like a bystander, too exhausted to move even a muscle. Eventually, he closed his eyes as the storm swallowed him whole.


    Darkness. Coldness. All that remained.


    Then Gale woke up on the bed of the Wang''s Inn, his chest rising and falling in heavy gasping. Gale found Vale next to him deep asleep and sighed in relief.


    He clutched the water sk from the side table and drank a few mouthfuls of water, relieving his sore throat.


    It wasn''t the first time Gale was having such a vision, but it wasn''t that frequent either. At first, he wasn''t ready to ept that something was wrong with his head, but the more he dreamt of the nightmare, the more disconcerted he got.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Perhaps I should look up a good healer of the mind, he thought, and left the bed.


    It was still dark, as it hadn''t even been a couple of hours since he went to bed. Gale crept through the corridor on the way towards the veranda on the side.


    Sliding the door open, Gale immersed himself in the openness, though the first thing he saw was a crouched-down figure leaning against the wall, looking at him.


    Wang Li was equally startled to find him appearing there as he had. As Gale was deliberating over whether to leave or not, Wang Li turned her head towards the small pond, a half-moon reflected on the surface perfectly.


    "Can''t sleep?" Gale asked awkwardly, standing idly.


    Wang Li remained silent for a while. She was slightly shivering in the chilly wind, crouched with her arms around her knees. "Sometimes I wonder," she said eventually, her voice shivering, "have I only made mistakes in my life?"


    The question was rhetorical, but Gale replied, getting the conversation going. "Mistakes, failures, regrets, they are inevitable in life. I told myself all the time, but it didn''t help any bit when you drown in misery."


    Wang Li turned her head to give him a look before turning again. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn''t strayed away from the martial path." She sighed, rubbing her legs. "I wasn''t as talented as my sister, but I wasn''t that terrible at it, either. I might be able to get into some silver-ranked sect if I tried harder."


    Wang Li''s voice cracked as she almost burst into tears. "But I chose family over spirit arts. How stupid I was, thinking I would not need to be at this and that rank of spirit arts to be respected in the rtionship."


    Oh dear, Gale thought. He couldn''t muster up anything to say that might relieve her somewhat. This wasn''t really his strong suit.


    Gale watched as Wang Li quivered, tearing up, head bowed in the middle of her knees.


    Gale let out a self-conscious sigh and brought a nket out of his void-lock. He tossed that to her and walked a few steps to meet the naked sky.


    "My parents divorced when I was young," he said eventually. "I was simply too little to understand anything about why they are breaking up. But now I know why. Sometimes, it''s as simple as the umtion of mimunication, sometimes it''s more . . . In the end, it depends on what you want from the rtionship. You have a beautiful son. I think you love him enough to hold on and try harder."


    Leaving those words, Gale didn''t wait for a reply. He always found flying to be the most stress-relieving. He needed that. Now.


    Gale lunged up in the air and released Stormsong as wild wisps of wind pulsed behind him, lifting him up in the air. Then with another pulse of wind Qi, Gale disappeared from Wang Li''s sight.


    ______________


    When I first started writing this, I hadn''t thought the story would turn this root. Anyway, enough emotional drama, fun stuffing next.


    Thank you for the review, sugar_danny.

 Chapter 35 034 Cultivation 101 (1)

    ?A week had passed since Gale''s retirement and arrival in Wayshire. Nothing to take notice of had urred in thest few days. Gale shifted to the farnd a couple of days ago simply because moving a couple of hundred Li every day was time-consuming and boring.


    His mansion was far fromplete. They had ttened thend and were preparing all the other stuff along with it. Gale reckoned it would take a month, give or take.


    A month was quite some time to be wasted, thus Gale cleared all the hedges and undergrowths, and mowed the field for cultivation in thest two days. The fences needed work, but Gale reckoned he would have plenty of time to fix them after sowing the grain.


    Most of the farms started harvesting crops. The season for wheat wasing. Gale got busy with cultivation as well. The farnd would look weird without crops growing, and if he left it as it was, the undergrowth and hedges would spread again.


    Sadly, he wasn''t that knowledgeable about farming. Thankfully, Xiaolin helped by telling him everything about how she and her father farmed.


    Gale stood in a heap of ironwood, peering at thend as he considered where to start. Vale stood next to him in a contemtive mood.


    The Sun rose about an hour ago, though the careless mist and fog enveloped the mountains, too obscuring to see properly.


    "The first step is ploughing thend," Gale reminded Vale.


    The soil must be properly prepared before starting wheat farming. It was a vital step. For this, he would have to plough the soil with a plougher. Unfortunately, this world had no strimmer,wn mower or tractor to make things easier.


    They still used bulls in self-propelled carts to plough thend. To cultivate this vastnd, they must have needed a lot of bulls. Then Gale reconsidered. The bull of thisnd wasn''t normal like most things, so he guessed the bulls could be efficient in ploughing, too.


    But Vale was all he got. Just imagining how ridiculous the fluffy dog would look ploughing the soil kept Gale going. A smile crept to his lips, as he stooped down to face Vale. "Can you plough?"


    The dog looked at him in derision. Vale snorted.


    "Let''s go get the mouldboard and everything else."


    Even though Xiaolin lost and sold all the farm animals, all the farming instruments were well-kept inside the farmhouse. They found a couple of smaller ploughers and arge one along with all the other farming equipment.


    Therger plougher needed at least two bulls to pull. Whereas the other two were more like a practitioner''s instrument. Any copper ranker could use it, spending a little energy to strengthen himself.


    "I''m taking the bigger one," Gale said, and sprinted to therger plougher like he found a new toy to y with.


    "Woof!" Not ready to be left out, Vale took one of the others, pulling with his teeth.


    "Now, let''s get some farming done."


    "Woof!"


    Ploughing turned out to be a simple task. The only hard thing about it was the strength required to pull the plougher. Any normal person would have trouble pulling even an inch, but Gale had no trouble with his gold body. In contrast, Vale was having trouble pulling just with his teeth.


    In the end, Gale helped him, binding the tool. Now the hound is ploughing around, learning it by watching him.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale couldn''t help but smile. He brought out a recording construct and filmed the cutest thing the world had offered since he was thrust into this world.


    Gale spent about a couple of minutes adjusting to the amount of strength at which he needed to pull. Not too fast or slow, just a bit higher than walking pace.


    Both of them worked relentlessly as the crew of the builders showed up at some point. They went on with their business,ughing at the man and beast at their foolishness. They had to admit, though, Gale and Vale weren''t inefficient.


    They probably would be done by midday if they worked relentlessly, which they could do effortlessly. Still, Gale thought a break would be more advisable. Although he had leftovers inside his void-lock, he would still like to prepare breakfast.


    A couple of simple side dishes wouldn''t even take half an hour.


    Gale was ready to proceed with his intention when Xiaolin came back with boxes of breakfast and lunches. Weirdly, along with her came a couple of towering bulls. They were breathing over her head, dwarfing her by their size.


    A kid of five was riding one of the bulls, yelling at them to move faster, though hismands were repealed by the man walking side by side with the bull.


    "Senior Gale," Xiaolin said. She paused momentarily, finding Vale bound to a plougher. The adorable beast looked rather funny with all the dirt and dust staining his perfect fur. "You are. . .ploughing already?"


    "Barely started," Gale said. He looked at the field, about a fifth had been ploughed, though they would need a second and third run. Gale wanted to be done with ploughing by today, which seemed possible so far. "Xiaolin, when did youe back?"


    "About an hour ago," Xiaolin answered, addressing the man and the kid. "I went to Uncle Shen''s house first. Grandma was worried you wouldn''t have the means to manage the field. . . "


    "So you brought the bulls?"


    "Seems like Grandma underestimated him quite a bit," said the man with an affable smile. "Cultivators are capable of everything, only needed a broader perspective to get started."


    "Senior," Xiaolin introduced, "this is Shen Xuan. Uncle Shen''s eldest son."


    Gale nodded as they exchanged bows.


    "And this is my firstborn, Shen Qing." Shen Xuan moved the boy¡ªwho turned out to be a girl¡ªfrom the back of the bull to the ground and let her bow. In return, Vale bowed, not waiting to be left out.


    "The beast cultivates too?" Shen Xuan bbergasted. Such a unique dog was a new perspective for him.


    "He does more than that."


    They continued the conversation after leaving the bulls. Gale didn''t know what to do with the bulls, to be honest. He ploughed fine with Vale. The bulls would surely make it easier, but nothing substantial he couldn''t do.


    Instead, he would have to take care of them every day. He guessed he had no problem with that, but these freaking bulls didn''t even produce milk.


    It would''ve been better if they had bought a pair of cows.

 Chapter 36 035 Cultivation 101 (2)

    ?Ploughing thend went on without a hitch, but the soil wasn''t ready yet. Gale needed to add fertilisers and water the soil before sowing the wheat. Also, he needed seeds. At least a ton of wheat seeds.


    Thankfully, Shen Xuan solved all the problems. The Shen family owned a motor construct that pumps water from the nearby river to their field. Xiaolin''s father used to borrow water from them as well, though the canal wasn''t there anymore.


    So Gale''s next task was to cut a narrow water canal from Shen farm to Stormhold. Yup, Gale was calling the ce Stormhold.


    It was sad, though. The farm was named Stormhold, yet he had to acquire water from others. Well, he couldn''t make it rain at his rank. Perhaps it would be possible at Gemheart rank, which seemed farther away than it ever did. But he could easily create a motor construct and canal system to get water from the river directly.


    But that''s too much work and would take a week at the very least to make the full canal system. Why bother when he could solve with the connection of a neighbouring farm?


    At least, that''s what Gale thought. However, he hadn''t perceived a problem to arrive. He hadn''t even established himself properly yet and people were already creating trouble.


    "Old Ran, are you being serious here?" Shen Xuan asked a tanned Oldman with grey hair.


    "Absolutely not," said Old Ran. "I won''t let you carve a way in mynd."


    The Oldman hadn''t gone full senile yet. His muscles hadn''t saggedpletely, befitting his iron body. He seemed to hold Gale in much distrust as if the foreigner had slept with his daughterst night.


    Gale knew much of it was the unfamiliarity towards foreign nations. Still, he couldn''t help but grunt as Shen Xuan kept on arguing with Old Ran, who was hell-bent on not letting them have their way.


    To acquire water from the Shen Farm, they needed to create a canal, as the old one seemed to be abolished after an unused year. Back then, Old Ran had no issue having a canal carved through hisnd, but now he was making all sorts of excuses and denying Gale of that essibility.


    "Old Ran, you weren''t like this before," Shen Xuan argued. "You had no problem with the canal before. What changed?"


    "Before I was helping a fellow farmer, a good neighbour," Old Ran shouted, throwing a contemptuous re at Gale. "Not a troublemaking foreigner."


    Gale''s eyes widened. He was a troublemaker. That''s somewhat true, but how did this Oldman know?


    "Tell your father to have some restraint in helping every stray thates to the valley," Old Ran continued. "He''s already reduced to being a cripple. How much would he need to lose to get this straight?"


    "Is this it?" Realisation shed in Shen Xuan''s eyes as he gritted his teeth.


    Gale understood, too. Supposedly, the older Shen had been crippled for helping Xiaolin with her needs. Not only that, many fields were burnt, crops destroyed, and barn animals went missing until the farmers stopped helping Xiaolin.


    "You used to have a higher standard than that, Old Ran."


    The grey-haired Oldman snorted. "I used to have a barn full of animals, too."


    Shen Xuan sighed and was about to continue, but Old Ran cut him off.


    "You won''t change my mind, and don''t bother to call your father. The old fool already had enough. Don''t make it harder for him."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The old man considered and turned towards Gale. He glowered at him again. In reply Gale only stood straighter.


    "Now you listen, Youngman," Old Ran said in an authoritative tone. "I don''t know who set you up for this and what your goal is, but you won''t get anything stirring trouble."


    "You seem to have mistaken, Old Ran," Gale said, opening his mouth for the first time. "I assure you, I don''t want to stir any trouble."


    "But you already did."


    Gale wanted to say more and exin himself, but all he did was purse his lips and sigh. Nothing he could say would convince this Oldman. He''s determined to obstruct Gale''s path.


    "You stirred it when you bought thisnd," the Oldman shouted, veins popping in his neck and forehead. Gale could clearly feel Old Ran''s frustrations. "You got yourself into this the moment you decided to help that girl. Now you''re trying to get more of us involved. I had lost good sleep for many nights, loads of crops and a barn full of animals before. These old bones can''t handle all of that again."


    Old Ran''s chest heaved up and down, undting, unfitting of a practitioner. Time was hardly kind to mortals. Even practitioners weren''t safe from its decay.


    "Seemed rather stressful, farming here," Gale said. "Why don''t you sell yournd to me, Oldman?"


    "What?!" Old Ran shouted in disbelief, his anger rising again.


    "I asked you to sell thisnd to me."


    "I ain''t deaf," Old Ran sneered. "Do you think this is funny,d? Do you think we are ying house here?"


    "I don''t think so," Gale replied, "but the way you''ve suffered against a certain opposition, they seem to think so."


    Old Ran looked like someone who''d burst into another uproar again, discovering the audacity of this junior.


    "You really came to stir up trouble," Old Ran yelled.


    "I think it''s a fair opportunity, though," Gale said simply. "It''s unlikely anyone takes care of you from the look of you. You live alone, too, I guess. Your offspring moved away to a better ce at some point, and probably even asked you to move in with them, but you''re still too arrogant to even hear them out. Or perhaps you wanted them to stay here with you, but they didn''t listen, or you simply didn''t ask and held grievances in your heart."


    "Young man, don''t test my patience."


    In fact, Gale wasn''t making a baseless usation here. He had heard Old Ran''s story on the way. Shen Xuan was more talkative than he looked. After that, figuring out this bit wasn''t much of a challenge.


    "I''ll offer you a hundred silver marks per acre. What do you say?"


    _________

 Chapter 37 036 Cultivation 101 (3)

    ?"Senior, what happened?" Xiaolin asked, finding Galeeback in dismay. She wore an apron above her clothes, doing housework in his stead. Supposedly, Grandma Yushenmanded her to leave, only when it looked Gale could take care of things on his own.


    Gale clicked his tongue and told her about the event in short.


    In the end, Gale couldn''t convince the Oldman. Old Ran fumed for a few minutes and departed, reminding again not to carve the canal in hisnd.


    Perhaps angering the old man was a bad idea as he was less likely to hear him out, but sometimes you had to go hard against a hell-bent opponent.


    Gale made his case, which seemed to fuel Old Ran''s anger, which meant Gale was just about right, and his words resonated with Old Ran''s grievances.


    Gale was certain the elder would figure out the advantages and disadvantages of his offer when hees to his right mind. Gale offered almost twice that of the actual price of the property. To anyone, it was a steal.


    However, this Oldman was living here for decades, though alone, his bones hadn''t gone soft. In contrast, they seemed to have hardened as the Oldman became inflexible, living alone.


    Old age tends to have this effect on people. Gale had seen his fair share of old fools who discarded a good life in their sheer arrogance and conceit.


    Shen Xuan rebuked him after Old Ran left, fuming in anger. He also departed, citing he would talk to his father to convince Old Ran.


    If that doesn''t work, then he might just build his own water system. He was only using others for convenience, and he got to prepare the mansion defence. It got to take a couple of months if Gale wanted to do his best work in scripting.


    Xiaolin looked troubled hearing everything out. It was in a way her fault, like how choking on food was the food''s fault. Still, she wouldn''t help but feel guilty.


    "Don''t worry about it," Gale said. "It''s just water. I might be able to solve it within a couple of days. A motor construct isn''t hard to build. I learned that when I was a novice."


    "Really?" Xiaolin''s expression was incredulous, probably thinking Gale was only saying that, so she wouldn''t feel bad about herself.


    "Sure," Gale said as they moved into the house. "I''ll show you how."


    Getting into the house, Gale brought out his scripting tools and ingredients. He was about to organise the items when he momentarily paused, his consciousness drifting inside the void-lock.


    Xiaolin was watching those instruments with keen eyes when she found Gale standing idle as if a sudden enlightenment hit him. Apparently, it was not, as she heard him grunting.


    "Senior?"


    "I totally forgot about my Void-lock." He smiled, turning to her. It had been years since he used Void-lock as a weapon or tool, other storing items. "Looks like we can solve the water problem in a couple of hours."


    "We can?" Xiaolin blinked as Gale showed her the weird spiral mark of the fate-lock. The one depicting the dimension space where he stored all the items.


    "Yes," Galeughed. "I can just carry around all the water in the void-lock. It would be easier than using a motor."


    "Really? Isn''t there any restriction on using such a power?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale clicked his tongue. "The only problem is that my Void-lock is full of other stuff. I have to unload them before I can pour water into it."


    With a simple flick of his fingers, Gale collected all the items he brought out and stuffed them into the void-lock. He looked around the room, pondering.


    "I don''t think your house is big enough to hold all the items," Gale said, earning a questionable stare from Xiaolin. "Well, we can store the spirit coins inside the house, as it has a working ward in ce. As for the other unimportant stuff, we can stuff them into the farmhouse."


    Luckily, only about ten percent of his space was spirit coins, or he might have to startying warding formations around the farmhouse.


    Gale flicked his finger again as a dark hole appeared in reality and out of them poured out hundreds of golden coins, each one glistening like the setting sun. With a few seconds, there were tens of thousands of gold coins.


    "Senior," Xiaolin yelped,pletely overwhelmed at the disy. She had never really seen gold spirit marks previously, yet this foreigner was dropping them likemon cabbages. "What are you. . .doing?"


    "Close the window," Gale suggested. "Even though the ward will block overflowing energy getting out of the house, it mightplicate things if others saw all this."


    Xiaolin''s eyes still stared at the coins. Only when the coins reached her feet did she notice she was charmed by all the energy raging around her.


    Xiaolin skidded off and closed the window as she was told.


    Gale watched how the energy flowed to her, curling around her carelessly and being sucked away unconsciously, as if it was only natural.


    "I''m sorry," Xiaolin said, ashamed. "I didn''t mean to."


    She let out a deep breath and concentrated on not absorbing the energy. The thin, smokey energy still surrounded her, curling around her, as the process of not absorbing became harder.


    "Xiaolin," Gale couldn''t help but say, "you know you''re one of a wonder."


    The farm girl blinked.


    "You never had a problem absorbing too much or higher-order energy, did you?"


    Even though energy tended to always go from higher density to lower¡ªlike Iron energy flowing to copper, and then the copper flowing to natural worldly energy¡ªthe presence of so many gold coins could at least overrule thew a little. With the ward in ce, at least half of the energy would stay at Gold level for hours. For Silver and Iron, it would be days and weeks, respectively.


    "If I absorb too much energy, weird side effects tend to arise."


    ____________


    Throwaway power stones, golden stones if you like the book . . .

 Chapter 38 037 Cultivation 101 (4)

    ?"If I absorb too much energy, weird side effects tend to arise."


    "Like what?" Gale asked, curious.


    "My body acts weirdly," Xiaolin said, blushing. "I barb excessively, ears start ringing, my eyes tear up. I feel wobbly and excited all the time."


    "As for higher order energy?"


    Xiaolin blinked, notprehending.


    "You''re easily absorbing gold density energy. Does that not affect you?" Gale borated, earning another confused blink from her as she stared at the pile of gold coins already reaching her knees.


    "I don''t think so," she answered, uncertain. "Does it affect others?"


    "Dearly," Gale said ominously. "While there''s a bit of exception for iron rankers and higher, a normal copper ranker will die of Qi poisoning within five minutes of absorbing a single gold spirit mark."


    Xiaolin looked horrified.


    "That''s why I called you a wonder," Gale said. "If I was a master, I wouldn''t mind taking you as a disciple."


    Xiaolin flustered at hisment and then became pensive, remembering again of her poor constitution. She still hadn''t achieved a single step forward.


    "Alright, you can absorb all you liketer," Gale said. "Now help me organise a few things."


    Xiaolin nodded and was about to move, only to find out she was stuffed on her spot as the coins had reached her waist. She forced on with all her might¡ªwhich was absolutely not a lot¡ªbut couldn''t move an inch.


    Gale burst intoughter. "Swim in it," he advised. "It''s a wondrous feeling, I assure you."


    Xiaolin stared incredulously and found Gale was serious. Eventually, she tried swimming, but with her mortal strength, she barely moved a couple of steps. It''s rather hard to swim in stone hard money.


    Several secondster, Gale stoppedughing, though the smile glued to his lips, watching her exerting effort to move.


    "Alright, alright, I''ll help you up." Gale closed the void hole as the money stopped pouring out. Still, they reached almost Xiaolin''s chest, while barely on Gale''s waist.


    He moved effortlessly and held Xiaolin''s arm to pull her out. He held her up and ced her on the heap of the coins.


    "Are you finished with the coins?" Xiaolin asked, her head almost reaching the ceiling as she stood up.


    "I''ll need another room for gold coins," Gale said. "And another one for all the lower ranked coins. But first, you have to move a few delicate items out of here."


    Gale brought out a few paintings, some scrolls and books¡ªprobably Qi techniques and spirt arts, bottles of wines, a few jade boxes and a dozen colourful beads.


    "Most of them are irreceable," Gale added. "Handle with care."


    Xiaolin inspected each of the items with her sight and nodded. "Senior, how did you get all this?" she couldn''t help but ask. It was only when the question was out that she found it was rather rude to ask such a question. "You don''t have to answer that, Senior, I was merely curious."


    "Bah!" Gale snorted. "I simply robbed my master''s house before departing."


    "What?!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Don''t worry about it. All this didn''t even put a dent in his treasury."


    ***


    Xiaolin waspletely bbergasted as she got out of the house. Senior Gale was unloading the leftovers inside the farmhouse, after leaving her with taking care of all the ingredients, herbs, and other stuff.


    She hadpleted all the tasks Gale gave her, and in doing so, she curiously inspected a few of the items.


    Like the paintings were all so beautiful. One of them was of dusk, sun rising on the horizon. It was so ethereal, Xiaolin got herself lost, staring at it for minutes. Apparently, most of them were drawn by Maya, Senior Gale''s Senior Sister.


    But most importantly, Senior Gale had stolen most of the items. Xiaolin was incredulous to believe that, after all, Gale admitted it without easily.


    "Hey girl," a voice broke her out of the contemtion, "watch where you''re goin''."


    Xiaolin halted to find a couple of the workers carrying logs. She was about to move in between them in a few seconds. "I''m sorry."


    "Kids, these days," spoke the other one, giving a meaningful look. "Have some restraints. At least wait until we all leave. . ."


    "What?" Xiaolin asked, wide eyes.


    The workers onlyughed in response and went their own way.


    Xiaolin kept on staring at them in confusion. Several secondster, she noticed her skin was glistening with faint sweat, the effect of absorbing energy while she was working. Moreover, her skin had a tint of red as the energy was still wobbling inside her.


    Xiaolin''s eyes widened like saucers as realisation dawned on her. She blushed excessively, turning around to find anywhere to hide her face.


    The workers were long gone for her to clear the misunderstanding, and it''s not like they would listen to her. She could only hope none of these would enter Senior Gale''s ears.


    Xiaolin bit her lips and moved away. After several seconds, she discovered Valeing back from his hunt in a bit of dismay. The dog''s mood lifted, finding her as he wiggled his tail and ran towards her.


    Xiaolin stooped to caress the hound. "No luck on the hunt?"


    The dog shook his head in herp. He looked at her as if wanting to express something, but unaware of how to. Then he turned towards the farmhouse where Senior Gale was currently at.


    "Senior is unloading his stuff," Xiaolin told the dog. "Is it really true senior stole most of the things from his master?"


    "Woof!" the hound agreed, nodding excessively.


    Xiaolin hummed,pletely lost about what to think of this. Senior didn''t look like someone who''d steal stuff just out of spite or greed.


    Gale came out of the farmhouse after a few minutes and threw her an uncertain look. "Is this," he pointed at her slightly glistening skin, "one of the effects?"


    Xiaolin nodded and recalled what the workers said to her. She looked down to hide her face.


    "It''s amon urrence when one advances, though the heat would be a lot more." Gale considered it for a moment. "We''ll take a look at thatter. Now let''s go get water."

 Chapter 39 038 Cultivation 101 (5)

    ?"Senior," Xiaolin asked, "have you done this before?"


    The three of them stood on a high ridge as a clear river flowed by below. The sun hovered over the head, still plenty of time remaining of the day.


    "Sure," Gale said, stretching his limbs a bit. "Never with water, but I used to stuff inva, poisonous miasma and various other dangerous stuff inside."


    "Did you . . ." Xiaolin''s expression grew horrified. "That''s . . ."


    "Horrifying?" Gale agreed. "Death is horrifying, more so when you die with your flesh burning up. But I had to do it," he borated. " There were no other options. I was terribly weak at that point and there were all sorts of people chasing after me, some for petty vengeance, money, or to eat me."


    "Eat you?"


    Gale nodded. "Cannibals. I think they are worse than zombies in a way. They aren''t as inhuman as undead, but aren''tpletely sane either. I think it''s the spirit art they practised that made them that way, not the cannibalism, though that''s equally bad as well."


    "Do zombies or other undead creatures exist?"


    "More than you can imagine," Gale said with a sigh. "I''ve seen my fair share of horrifying stuff in the southernnd. Honestly, you people are lucky. Anyway, enough small talk. You two wait here. I''ll go load some water real quick."


    And with that, Gale jumped off the cliff and somersaulted more than two hundred metres into the river. Xiaolin yelped unconsciously at the audacity, but finding Vale calm, she recovered as well.


    Gale didn''t bother posing like an Olympic diver, though he felt some thrills and excitement on the jump. He went deep into the river and concentrated on opening a path into his void lock. The hole had about a radius of a couple of feet, the limit of which Gale could keep up for minutes underwater.


    These portal holes were way more delicate than they looked. Gale had to invest immense amounts of intent to make it work, and it was even harder under such water pressure. Any shoring from his end would cause the portal hole to copse within a blink of an eye.


    Gale sat cross-legged in a meditative pose with his eyes open, staring at the ever-fluctuating portal hole. Thankfully, it didn''t need as much Qi as it needed his mental energy and intent.


    After several minutes, Gale got out of the water, took a deep breath, and got back in. His void lock could easily hold a couple of million litres of water. He had to continue up and down a few times topletely fill the void-lock.


    As for the water he would need in the field. . .Gale wasn''t really sure. He reckoned a tank full of water should be enough. If it wasn''t, all he got to do wase again to fill it up.


    ***


    Xiaolin tapped her foot incessantly as she waited for Senior Gale to finish. She watched hime up multiple times and diving back again. She thought Senior Gale would be done with a flick of his fingers. After all, she had seen today, all the wealth.


    But it appears there were some restrictions on using such power. Well, it was only natural. Lord Heartme had to endure the burning of his soul every time he used his ever-glorious me power, whereas Senior Gale''s power was more low-key. It was still an amazing thing.


    Senior Gale was done filling in after his fifth interval. His figure thrust up out of the water, an iridescent undtion of water behind him. He flew up, squinting his nose, his breathing rather rigid.


    He flew straight towards the cliff andid t on the rocky ground, gasping. The thick tunic stuck to his frame, disying his chest heaving up and down in wheezing.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "This took more effort than I imagined," he said, wincing. "I''m really straying away from the martial path."


    Gale hadn''t practised cycling or other spirit arts regrly for months, and they were showing effect, though much of the me could be put on the corrosive affliction he throttled himself with.


    On good days, all of this would be effortless. He really needed a workable solution out of this soon.


    Some spike in power was achievable even with his current self, but it''s the constant pressure that''s difficult.


    Gale sighed. "Let''s go water the field."


    Xiaolin followed as they took the shortest way home. The river wasn''t really that far, a couple of li at best. Reaching Xiaolin asked if Gale needed any change of clothing, which he declined after a thought. He got to work immediately, creating a smaller hole a foot above thend so that It wouldn''t be like flooding.


    "Linlin," Gale told her after a while, "I have no need for you here. You can go to the house and cycle."


    Xiaolin thought for a moment and nodded, thinking she could make a lot of progress just by absorbing the excessive energy flooding inside the house. She felt bad about taking advantage of Senior, but Senior Gale had given her the person and also told all those energies were useless for him, whatever that indicated.


    She just turned her head when Gale called her again.


    "Will you stay at the house tonight or leave for the town?"


    Xiaolin''s body stiffened, and she stole a nce at the tall-stature senior who was busy watering. A deep line crossed on his forehead, concentrating on keeping the fate-lock open.


    "I''ll be staying at Uncle Shen''s house," she said.


    "That seemed like a good idea," Gale said.


    The Shens had invited him for dinner as well, so he could bring her there. Although the distance between them was only a couple of miles, it was still unnerving for him to let a powerless girl depart alone at night.


    "Senior, when are you nning to go back to town?"


    "Somewhere next week, I think," Gale answered thoughtfully. "I still have to get some supplies and attend a judicature at the enforcers'' office."


    "Oh." Xiaolin''s shoulder slumped as she stood there. She had to depart by tomorrow or the day after.


    "By the way, when you go back, don''t go alone even if it''s daytime," Gale said, pointing at Vale with his eyes. "Take him with you."

 Chapter 40 039 Uninvited Guest (1)

    ?Energy coursed through her body in a chaotic charge as Xiaolin gasped. She almost didn''t have time to transform the worldly energy into Qi. It could''ve been disastrous for anyone else.


    Mortals cycle the energy through their meridians and transform them into Qi, and only then would they have a full grasp over them. However, with the inconsiderable amount of Qi she possessed, circting all the energy through the meridians and transforming them became terribly burdensome.


    The healthy ratio was 10:1 for Qi to worldly energy. Xiaolin broke the rule the moment she began. She had no problem until it was 4:1, but she couldn''t handle anymore currently.


    Xiaolin had to limit her absorption of energy in the end, decreasing her chances of a breakthrough yet again. She smiled ruefully and continued on with the process.


    Gale was watching everything across from her on the couch. He waspletely oblivious to the urrence inside her body. The sheer amount of energy she absorbed, if it were any other mortal, would probably burst into a muddle of bloody sap within a minute.


    Her constitution, though faulty, kept her alive through the process of discharging energy, keeping only the amount she could handle.


    "Don''t force yourself," Gale advised eventually, "it might cause something drastic."


    He didn''t see any way for her to advance the way she was practising, to be honest. The amount of Qi she umted would eventually drop when she goes over a certain threshold, rendering all her effort futile. The process would leave her at ground zero.


    If only her constitution didn''t have this drastic effect, she would be a true monster in the martial world, but the universe wouldn''t allow such existence, hence the w.


    If only they could find a way to bypass the w. . .


    Actually, Gale had found three ways, though two of them were out of his depth, leaving only the option with artificial fate-lock. However, she couldn''t fuse with a fate-lock in her current state without getting heavily injured.


    Xiaolin spent another hour cycling, getting nowhere. In the end, she copsed on the floor, wincing. She might even cry if she was alone.


    "From what I see, you won''t be able to advance the way you''re practising." Gale broke the silence. "Arge amount of energy sure helps, but it can''t bypass the w of your constitution." Gale paused for a moment, considering. "You can try with some pure crystal. Although I''m not sure if it, pure crystal can increase the transform speed by three or four-fold easily."


    Xiaolin rolled to sit back up. Her robe was soaked in sweat and her skin had a hue of redness after all the effort she exerted in vain. "Senior, didn''t you say pure crystal is poisonous to anyone below iron?"


    "I did," Gale said, "but that anyone didn''t seem to include you. Your constitution''s w leaves you at the base of spirit art no matter how hard you practice, however, it still has one particr effect that you aren''t aware of."


    Xiaolin gave a quizzical look.


    "Tell me, have you ever been afflicted with any spirit poisoning or affliction?"


    Xiaolin thought, tilting her head. Eventually, she shook her head. "Not that I''m aware of."


    "That''s probably because your body releases all those spirit poisons as it does with energy," Gale said. "I''m not a hundred percent certain about this, but there is a pattern to how anatomy works, mundane or magical.


    "If you don''t mind, I would like you to do a small test."


    "What test?" Xiaolin sat straighter, pushing away her fatigue.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale thought for a moment about how to phrase it right. "Basically, I''ll inject you with a slow-working poison and see if you need an antidote or not." Xiaolin bit her lips thoughtfully as Gale added. "The poison will be nothing too serious, of course. If you don''t want to, that''s fine too."


    "Okay," Xiaolin said after a while.


    "Are you sure?"


    Xiaolin nodded.


    "Alright, let me get some non-fetal spirit drugs. Actually, I have one in mind. It only causes hallucination as a side effect and helps sleep."


    After several minutes, when Xiaolin recovered slightly from her exhaustion, they proceeded with the experiment. Gale gave her a couple of drops of liquid drugs and told her to do nothing.


    Gale kept his palm in contact with her, inspecting if there was any change. Time passed as Xiaolin started to grow sleepy. Unconsciously, she leaned on Gale and muttered something incoherent.


    "Father!" she muttered as her figure lurched from her spot. She blinked multiple times and stared at Gale who was frowning at her.


    "It didn''t evenst two minutes," Gale said. "For any normal mortal, this would give them a terrible headache. They would sleep for a dozen of hours even in the worst environment."


    "I do feel sleepy, Senior."


    "But you aren''t sleeping," Gale said. "My intuition was right. Your body does take in all kinds of spirit elements, though to a limited value¡ªthe exact amount you can handle and releases the rest. This doesn''t mean you''re immune to all spirit poisoning, however. Anything strong and quick working can kill you like the rest of us, so don''t try anything stupid."


    Xiaolin nodded. She felt foreign energy invading her body as Gale relieved her of all the sleepy vibe she was getting. It didn''t evenst a moment after he withdrew his Qi.


    "What about the pure crystal?"


    "You can take it to a marginal degree," Gale gave the verdict. "Unfortunately, I don''t have any pure crystal with me. Perhaps I can buy a few small beads from Shi Fan."


    "Senior," Xiaolin chimed, feeling guilty, "you don''t have to go that far for me. If it really helps, I don''t mind using the marks I have."


    "I don''t think you have enough wealth to afford it," Gale told her. Xiaolin looked troubled hearing him out. "You can always borrow money from me. Honestly, I''m curious what you''d grow into when you advance."


    _________


    Weirdly, both farming and xianxia power systems are termed as cultivation.


    The chapters will be locked at some point in a few days after this one. Meaning you have to use a free pass or coins to unlock them.


    Thank you for your support.

 Chapter 41 040 Uninvited Guest (2)

    ?Ploughing? Done.


    Irrigating the field? Done.


    Repairing the fence? Done.


    The entire mansion? Only the foundation was done. That was close to 10% at best, Gale reckoned. Thankfully, it was the slowest part as well.


    The builders were bringing new stuff and instruments every day, working relentlessly during their working hours. After all, Gale already delivered a heavy sum of spirit marks. The workers weren''t paid on a day-to-day basis, so there was no point in wasting time to get more money.


    Now all Gale had to do was sow the wheat, and then he could proceed on making the defensive script formation for the mansion.


    Apparently, he needed to irrigate the field another time after nting the seeds. Thankfully, he only stored the spirit coins and a few expensive stuff inside his void-lock, while most of the other stuff was in the farmhouse.


    Most of the stuff there were things that he umted when he was low-ranked. Stuff like low-rank herbs, about a year of rations for emergencies, failed projects of his script practice, or simplymon stuff that could be bought by spending a few marks easily.


    Gale could bring out all the coins in a few minutes and go on in another round of irrigation. Well, he had to finish sowing by then though.


    Sowing was even easier, to be honest. He had to spring all the seeds in the prepared field and spread them with a rake. Gale had purchased a thousand kilograms of iron-ranked wheat from the Shen Family, which cost him just a little over two thousand iron marks.


    Though Old Shen couldn''t convince the hell-bent Old Ran, he had been only helpful so far, advising him on farming as well as providing all the tools and ingredients.


    ording to Old Shen, if everything worked well, he could expect at least twenty times that of the invested wheat. Gale already calcted, after the taxation¡ªwhich cut away a good one-third of the harvest¡ªand all the investment in fertilisers, pesticides, workers and other expenditures, he would be left with somewhere between fourteen thousand and sixteen thousand iron marks in profit.


    Honestly, that''s quite a return even though the price of fertilisers and pesticides were rather high. Well, he was farming spirit crops. There needed to be some investment. Definitely big for some, but nothing to him.


    Moreover, Gale reckoned he could cultivate silver-ranked crops and some low-ranked herbs to get a handsome return, which could be worthwhile even to him. Honestly, he had an urge to start with silver crops, but he quenched that urge without a second thought. Silver crops needed more than just silver-ranked seeds. Gale was not prepared to make that happen. Yet.


    Well, not now, but he could tryter. Also, he intended to cultivate cocoa at some point¡ªnot the general ones, but the high-grade ones that he stole from his sect. For that, he limited about four acres ofnd. He needed to build a greenhouse to start that. A n for next year, perhaps.


    Gale thought of proceeding with those ideas after his mansion was done.


    Gale was done sowing by noon. He had a discussion on the matter of the mansion with Master Crafter Shi Jun for about half an hour after that. Shi Jun only needed to know if he was going with Gale''s intention. After getting Gale''s approval and clearance on most things, he proceeded with the work.


    In the afternoon, Gale said goodbye to Xiaolin as she had to leave. Honestly, he had no need for her, though her presence did make things easier and kept him involved.


    After reassuring her about the pure crystal he promised, he let her go only if she let Vale guard her on the trip back.


    Honestly, there wasn''t a chance of anything happening in broad daylight, but after the case with the bandits, Gale didn''t want to take chances.


    "Protest her well," he told Vale, caressing his head. He really didn''t need to say that. It was what Vale did best. Gale would''ve been dead a couple of times already if not for Vale. "You don''t have to travel back during the night. Stay at the inn for the night ande back tomorrow."


    Honestly, there was probably nobody in the town that could hurt Vale. Vale could even run away safely from gold rankers, but like before, Gale didn''t want to take chances. He had been rash enough times in his years of adventuring already.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vale licked his face for several seconds with affection. Gale felt his spirit rejuvenated a little after the licking. It wasn''t really that significant, but he remained embracing the big boy.


    Eventually, they left and Gale proceeded to stock up water in his void-lock after he dropped all the spirit coins again. By the evening, when the workers were done for the day, Gale was still watering the field. It only took so long because he had to spray water on the field, not flood it with water. Twenty-five acres were still quite lengthy.


    "That''s a neat way of watering, young master," Kongmin, one of the senior builders, said as Gale''s lips twitched.


    Gale had no clue how these people had the impression that he was a young master. He hadn''t gone after any women, nor treated others like his personal servants. The only thing that might give them the wrong idea was how he spent some money, but that''s still within reach of many people who weren''t young masters.


    "If only we had such arge dimension storage at our disposal," Shangmented, "our hard work would proceed a lot quicker."


    "Quit bothering young master Gale, Shang," another one shouted from the back. He was carrying all the carpentering tools. "Help me carry all these tools."


    Gale shook his head in dismay. He was in his thirties in earth years, but after all the metamorphosis and clean shaving, he appeared like someone in his early twenties. Tall, regal, and hunky.


    Gale liked all of that, just not people calling him young master.


    ''Power changes people, that includes how you see the world and how the world sees you.''


    Sneeze!


    Gale wrinkled his nose and watched the workers leave. When he was done with watering, his void-lock was still filled with two-thirds of the water. He didn''t release the water back into the river, as he would need to irrigate again after a few days. But he couldn''t leave all the spirit coinsid on the house, either.


    ''Perhaps I should dig a pool or ask the workers to build a tank,'' Gale wondered. True, he would have an outdoor bath, so a tank would be a better idea. He could use some modern water lines in the mansion as well.


    Done with the work, Gale walked towards the house, wondering what delicious dish he would cook tonight. Something with meat and--


    Gale halted abruptly, his right ear tingled.


    Sneeze!


    Gale spun and sprang into motion. His third fate-lock, Stormsong awoke, jolting Gale''s entire body as he bolted, a knife appearing in his hands, glittering in blue light. Gale charged at nothing, swinging viciously as if an invisible enemy was standing right there.


    His attack did nothing.


    He stopped and muttered, "I can swear I felt someone shadowing me."


    Abruptly, thunder sparked in his palm as Gale threw the knife to his right. The knife sprang into motion, carrying the charge of lightning. . .and seemed to strike something.


    A figure that wasn''t there before appeared, swaying a little.


    "Who. . ." Gale reassessed his question. "What are you?"

 Chapter 42 041 Uninvited Guest (3)

    ?Gale''s eyes widened at the figure. A slender figure, but everything about her seemed to be hidden behind that ck cloak she had on. No¡­ that ck cloak¡ªit wasn''t simply a simple cloth, but somehow a part of her.


    Somehow it looked much like a Soul Cloak that only Gemheart experts could materialise. It was probably not a soul cloak. If it were, Gale wouldn''t be in this situation currently.


    Even though her figure seemed to have materialised out of nothing, and to naked eyes they seemed to have a physical form, Gale could sense her body was shivering, not in the cold. It''s like an error in reality. She was somehow there, yet not present at the same time.


    "Who¡­ what are you?" Gale asked after finding the weird stalker wasn''t proceeding to attack.


    On second thought, Gale wasn''t so sure if this person was a woman, or even a human. He could barely feel her on his spiritual radar.


    Gale could only see her/their eyes. Clear like emerald, glowing in the dim light. Gale waited, but there was no reply. The stalker stood shoulder hunched, uninjured, though momentarily lost that Gale had found them.


    "Are you a. . .ghost?" Gale asked after getting no reply. He still felt eerie with her presence. She did have a presence like a ghost, but more potent, more alive. "Evil spirit? Vengeful spirit?"


    The figure shook their head.


    At least he got something in reply. But if it''s not an evil spirit or ghost, then what? But more importantly: "Why are you stalking me?"


    Gale could swear he had this tingling feeling that someone was watching him, now on then, but he ignored them as there was no evident reason to be bothered.


    Honestly, he never had been a person with overly spirited senses, and clearly this person was a unique existence¡ªthe only reason he managed to find them because they was sloppy and wasn''t that stronger than him.


    Well, from the look of things, this person seemed to follow on a unique system of advancement, like Vale. Definitely not human, nor were they near anywhere near equal to gold rank.


    "You can''t speak?"


    "Commission," said the unique existence. Thier voice came out like a squeak, albeit clearly. That seemed like a woman''s voice, albeit barely, though there was nothing for him to confirm. They pointed at him and uttered a word. "Threat."


    "I am a threat?" Gale was momentarily taken aback. "To whom?"


    There was no answer. Gale took a moment to reorganise his thoughts. Someonemissioned this person to stalk him to see how much of a threat he was to them.


    The first person who came to his mind was Young Master Han. After all, he had a reason to hate Gale, no matter how small the reason was. However, if that was true, then this stalker should have plenty of opportunity to do something.


    True, Vale had a keen awareness of threat and was close to him most of the time, leaving them fewer chances to do anything. Still . . .


    "Yourmission only told you to shadow me?"


    The ghost shook their head. "Contingency."


    Gale snorted. This conversation was really getting on his nerves. How in the hell would he get into it if all he got a single word in reply? Well, it was probably because they weren''t adapted to humannguage.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He let out a breath and prepared himself. "Alright, enough conversation," he told them. "Let''s get started."


    Lightning rippled on his palms, his hair stood out as Gale proceeded to attack.


    "No need," the stalker told him. "I have confirmed."


    Well, well, they could form sentences with more words, it seemed. "What?"


    "You are. . .not a threat."


    "Oh, you got no idea what I''m capable of," Gale sneered. His legs worked like a bolt of lightning as he charged. In the next moment, he appeared right next to the ghost.


    The spirit entity didn''t engage in battle, but tried to withdraw using their unique spiritual nature. Gale understood this person could materialise in forms of physical and spiritual entity, which gave them an immense talent for stealth and spying. However, there should be a limit to their capability.


    He needed to figure that out first, and to do that, his first intended to block their way of escape. If they shift to spiritual entity, there was a little he could do if they choose to escape.


    Gale surrounded them with a charge of electricity using his third Fate-lock. As he assumed, they tried to escape by changing into a spiritual entity. Gale closed in before they could and rammed his fist to their midsection.


    The attack connected during their shift. Thunder charged out of his fist, pulsing through their stomach and ceased the shift of nature.


    But Gale wasn''t done yet. Before the unique entity could muster any counterattack to his movement, Gale swung his leg against their feet. The ghostly cloaked figure fell, Gale on top of them as they rolled on the ground.


    Gale released more of Stormsong, as lightning cracked out of him to attack the person. Then Gale forced his hold of Qi onto the entity and released the Void-lock, trying to imprison them into the void-lock.


    Most things couldn''t survive inside the airless pocket void, but this person could shift into a spiritual entity, so perhaps they could. Gale would find out soon.


    First, he had to ovee their intent. Sadly, this person was no greenhorn. It didn''t take them more than a second to understand something was wrong as a suction force pounced on their body.


    They gathered all the will they could muster and transformed them into an intent. An intent of disregarding Gale and whatever Gale was working for.


    The lightning surrounding them stopped, but the silent conflict of intent churned the air, as sparks of Qi glittered surrounding them. No one admitting defeat. After several seconds, the person managed to shift into spiritual nature, but Gale still had a hold of them.


    If they couldn''t win in the Intent contest, there was no escape.


    Shifting into Spiritual nature seemed to give the Stalker more freedom to act, but they weren''t free yet. They lurched up from Gale''s grasp, phasing through him.


    ____________


    Gale used ''They'' instead of he/she to the stalker because he wasn''t sure about their sex. Also, some spiritual entities were vague about their sex.

 Chapter 43 042 Uninvited Guest (4)

    ?Battle of intent mostly depended on the Will of the practitioner. Thankfully, Gale''s condition hadn''t weakened his Will in any way.


    Although he couldn''t bring forth everything, he was still winning the conflict. He could barely see the transparent figure in the dim light, entranced in their spot, mustering all their will in resistance.


    It was only a matter of time before he wins this contest and imprisons this person.


    However, it didn''t go as smoothly as he hoped it would. It turned out that the ghostly person had other abilities thatplimented their unique spiritual nature.


    They threw a psychic attack at Gale, which phased through every bit of his defence and struck his mind. Tremors of chill ran down his spine as Gale''s legs shook.


    Again he found himself among the corpses. Mutted organs, corpses surrounded him all over, some even on his body. Gale gritted his teeth and mustered a mental barrier to ward away the psychic attack.


    Gale almost seeded when dozens of cold arms pulled him down into the dead again, overpowering him, devouring him. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he clenched his jaw. In this vision, Gale was powerless¨Ceven though he was not. This wasn''t going to be easy.


    "I am not your enemy," a voice told him. It was most likely the creepy stalker.


    Gale had to muster some strength to pull himself away from his traumatic experience. The attack wasn''t lethal in any way, merely a ploy to slow him down.


    Gale would be a fool if he let them. He formed another mental barrier, far stronger than before. He  formed a firewall, fuelling them with all stray thoughts of fear, misery, anger, fury in them.


    "You can find the real enemy half li in the east. close."


    Just as the voice finished, Gale regained his lost will.


    The vision broke instantly as Gale appeared on the farnd again. He clenched his jaw, finding no one there. The ghostly person overcame his weakened intent and escaped when he was busy dealing with the traumatic vision.


    "Damn," Gale muttered, his chest heaved. He scanned the surroundings thoroughly for any peculiarities, but the ghost was nowhere to be seen.


    "Looks like I need to work on the defence mechanism early."


    * * *


    Twilight groaned as she shifted to physical form. She dropped to the ground a few miles away in the mountain, clutching her chest.


    ''All the unworthy gods, this pain is insanity.''


    There was no blood on her body, but she was injured quite heavily. It was the first attack¨Cthe knife throw that had taken her back and inflicted the attack.


    That foreigner dide with more attacks after that, but all the lightning did was restrict her escape. Clearly he didn''t intend to kill her outright, but capture and question her. Thankfully, Twilight wins every time someone tries to capture her.


    The foreigner was trying to do something terrible, which irked her spirit to resist right at the very moment. If she was only a momentte, she didn''t know where she would be right now.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I was careless," she mumbled.


    Nobody, not even gold rankers, could find her when she was in her spiritual form and emitted no ripples of intention. That blinded her today and cost her almost everything.


    She had no clue how the foreigner found her. It could be merely luck. Twilight didn''t like to bet on that.


    There was absolutely zero chance for this weird foreigner to be a gemheart expert. She could feel something holding him back, as he didn''t go all out. But the intent was something that was still fresh on her mind.


    Twilight could swear that the intent was no weaker than a Master practitioner. And one had to be at least a gold ranker to be a master practitioner. Merely one in a thousand could inherit the mantle of a master. Shi Fan''s dead master was one, whom Twilight had met a few times when she was still enlisted in the sect.


    All master practitioners seemed to have a mysterious aura around them that set them apart from the normal crowds. Twilight had felt little of that around the foreigner during their battle.


    But even so, he should be someone notable. Why the hell was he doing farming here?


    Twilight sighed and remained on the ground for several minutes. Through miraculous endeavour, she got herself this unique inheritance. Still, she wasn''t sure if it was a blessing or a curse.


    True, it let her have some unique abilities for only being at the Silver rank, but it had its demerits as well. Twilight didn''t get injuries most time after getting this inheritance, however, when she does it take several times longer than a normal practitioner to heal up.


    What''s worse was that most healing potions or medicine didn''t work on her.


    "That bastard almost got me good," she mumbled, and dismissed her cloak.


    The ck cloak spread into ck mist and disappeared into her body, leaving herpletely naked on the grass field along with a small dimension storage device


    Twilight even though still retained her physical body in some form after the inheritance transformed her, it was nothing like her normal body. Her skin was pure white, like she was born albino. Moreover, whenever she was in her physical form, she couldn''t use any Qi, save for enhancing the defence of the soul cloak.


    However, even with her soulcloak on, that bastard''s knife had struck right below her right breast.


    Twilight squinted her eyes and examined the glittering cut mark under her breast. It wasn''t bleeding¡ªshe didn''t bleed, not truly. The cut was shallow, yet it would take her over a month to heal up.


    Clutching the storage device, Twilight changed into spiritual form. She could only use Qi in her spiritual form. Twilight brought out a blue vial of elixir and changed back to physical form again. She could eat in her spiritual form, though that was a weird experience every time she tried.


    She drank only a couple drops of the blue elixir and put on a ck cloak that resembled her soul cloakpletely, save for spirituality.


    Now all left to do for today was alert Shi Fan about this foreigner andplete hermission.


    __________

 Chapter 44 043 Uninvited Guest (5)

    ?Half Li in the east. That seemed like a very specific spot. Could it be that more people were stalking him?


    Well, half-li was quite some distance, and that ghost seemed certain. Unless someone behaved suspiciously, Gale wouldn''t notice.


    Well, it doesn''t hurt to try, however, if he went there usually the lurker would flee before Gale got a hold of him. Not to mention the brief battle he had with the ghost probably alerted the lurker.


    Well, from that distance, they wouldn''t be able to see much, but could clearly feel the undtion of natural energy.


    That brought him back to the ghostly person. If Young Master Han didn''t employ them, then who? Young Master Han''s family because they were worried about his well-being? No, their conflict hadn''t gone that far yet.


    Perhaps the Artisans guild? Trying to dig out the secret of the artificial fate lock? Well, they were a reputable association, spread all over the globe, but for them to do something like this. . .it wasn''t unheard of.


    Certainly, they could try something, considering the spy they employed was this good. Nobody in their right mind would think Gale could discover the stalker.


    Clearly, the spy was someone special and not from Wayshire. It must have cost hundreds of gold coins to employ them. Only a certain few in this valley could afford that sum of money.


    ? The Han family/the mayor''s family, Sun Ziang, the Artisans guild, or Shi Fan. Gale wrinkled his nose at thest option. Shi Fan certainly had the means and reason to send a spy after Gale.


    Now that he thought about it, it was most likely. Han or the mayor''s family wouldn''t throw away that sum of money so easily. They could literally employ half a dozen silver rankers and kill Gale with that much money. What''s the need to spy on him? Gale still has this option open in the back of his mind, just in case.


    Sun Ziang wasn''t a real option, either. He was probably a neer to this town like Gale, who wasn''t that familiar with the outside world. Moreover, Gale hadn''t given him any reason to spy on him.


    Artisans guild was a viable option. They had the money and reason, but throwing away so much wasn''t a profitable business. The artificial fate-lock Gale provided for checking wasn''t really a feasible reason enough. First, Gale used low-grade ingredients on making it. Only the scripts in them were something special, though they needed to be tested.


    The amount of money that ghostly entity costs could easily buy such low-level fate-locks at the right market.


    So after eliminating all the options, only Shi Fan remained. Gale had seen him with all the wealth, even 1% of such wealth could inme greed in men. Of course, Shi Fan would be worried. It was the natural reaction to have, however, Gale didn''t know he would go that far to make sure.


    Gale thought he had a certain understanding with that dude. Gale clearly made sure he had no use of all this treasure. Then he remembered how trepid Shi Fan''s aura was thest time he met.


    "Hmm," Gale contemted, as he climbed to the top of the house. There was no staircase to climb, but a practitioner hardly needed a staircase to climb this much.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Shi Fan clearly couldn''t escape safely with all those treasures on his own as he didn''t have a dimension storage device. Hence, he called the person who helped him escape into this unremarkable valley to escape again and while they were at it, there was no issue spying on the threats after all.


    Any rational person would feel no remorse for making such a decision.


    ''All of this made sense.'' Gale sat cross-legged on the roof and closed his eyes. He recalled how much meat that dude roasted that day. Evidently, all of that wasn''t for a single man.


    ''Looks like I''ll have to visit that guy soon,'' Gale thought, and focused. ''But now I need to look out for the lurkers in the background."


    Hundreds of invisible Qi threads emerged out of Gale''s body as they moved in all directions at hismand. Although the Ghost specifically mentioned east, Gale wouldn''t take their word for it.


    That''s why he applied this high-grade spirit art to detect their presence. There was no low-grade version of this art, but there''s one in mid-grade called Qi Sense. A very specific few in the Iron and Silver ranks were capable of using it, as it needed an unimaginable amount of intent and control.


    Evidently, the art Gale applied wasn''t the Qi Sense. Actually, he wouldn''t be able to sense more than ten metres of his surroundings if he tried only with Qi Sense.


    Qi Sense took arge quantity of Qi, which Gale hardly had ess to. Thankfully, the higher grade of the art required little Qi, even though the requirement of control and intent increased by another notch.


    The higher version of Qi Sense was called Spiritual Sense. Through this ability, the practitioner had to transform their Qi into invisible threads like the lower version of the art and then link those threads to the natural worldly energy.


    That linking with natural worldly energy was called Spiritual Resonance¡ªsomething only Master practitioners were capable of. Although Gale''s master wouldn''t acknowledge that Gale was a Master already, he did have a few capabilities of a master.


    Through Spiritual Resonance, Gale gained a few more options in his arsenal. Through the link he could recover his Qi rather quickly, but most importantly, Spiritual Resonance would let him augment most of his spirit arts.


    That''s what he was doing currently, augmenting Qi Sense to Spiritual Sense.


    As Gale was hardly a master, he couldn''t link with the natural energy in a short time or during a close fight. He could use it to make someone breathless and jammed lower-ranked practitioners'' blood pressure easily, but Spiritual Sense was something even most Masters had a problem controlling.


    ________


    Much of this instalment went by in contemtion, which I seldom like write, but I think I had a need to exin all this. There were still some stuff left to exin. . . . Hmm.

 Chapter 45 044 Uninvited Guest (5)

    ?Gale was omniscient. Well, only in the couple of hundred-metre radius in the surroundings. His Spiritual Sense could cover only that much.


    This ability wouldn''t let him see¡ªthat was the job of the eyes¡ªbut it could enable him to detect the tiniest ripple in the natural energy flow. Naturally, any practitioner or even a normal person emitted a unique aura all the time which leaves a sign wherever they visit.


    Although sneaky spy or assassin-type individuals trained to keep that unique aura in check, Gale couldn''t anticipate another unique individual like that Ghost on his back.


    So anyone below the gold rank would be detected under this spell unless they have a unique state like that Ghost.


    Gale detected some old ripples of unique aura in the surrounding area, most of them were left behind by the battle he had with the Ghost. As for the rest, he wouldn''t be able to distinguish if it were from the workers or someone else. It didn''t take long for natural energy to get to the harmonising flow, overwriting others'' signs. Gale would need to look more into the distance.


    Gale pulled all of his Qi threads in one direction and linked them with the worldly energy in the east. He could easily scan one li in one direction.


    ''Gotcha,'' Gale mused, finding the culprit he was looking for in an instant. Although he couldn''t feel anything but the ripples in energy flow, he detected a thin aura emitting from the ground surrounded by undergrowth. The spy had tried to mask his aura with something--probably a concealment-type fate-lock, but failed to stay hidden under Gale''s sense.


    Gale didn''t go after the culprit immediately, he scanned all the directions one by one. Sadly, there wasn''t anyone else.


    Gale took a deep breath and dismissed the art. He stood up and leapt off from the roof tond safely. He crept to the farmhouse nonchntly,pletely unconcerned about the presence of the hidden watcher.


    Gale gave bulks of grass to the two bulls and stored a few weapons such as bow, arrows, sword, and spear inside his void-lock. He came out and made sure the lurker was in the same spot. A smile crept to his lips as he moved to a blinding spot from where the lurker was hidden.


    Gale brought out the bow and arrow and aimed. Although he was also blinded of the lurker''s position, Gale hardly need to see to shoot at an unmoving target.


    He aimed the arrow at a sixty-degree angle, considered the wind and distance, lowered it slightly and released the string. The arrow sprang into motion, not glowing in the dark as Gale only enchanted it with the Guardian emblem, enhancing its piercing power and durability.


    Gale didn''t wait for the arrow tond and came out when a slight yelp echoed. Gale drew another arrow and aimed, reeling up in the air to get a full view of the culprit. For an extended moment, Gale made eye contact with the culprit.


    The spy dashed, unbothered by the arrow sticking out of his waist. Gale''s eyes narrowed as he released the string.


    Unsurprisingly, this lurker wasn''t as good as the Ghost.


    The arrow pierced right into the right butt cheek, earning another scream of agony.


    "Uhh," Gale pursed his lips and flew in the direction where the lurker fell. ''He won''t be able to sit properly for about a month or two.''


    However, Gale didn''t have high hopes for anything out of him.


    Gale dropped in front the agonising man and scanned him thoroughly, unbothered if he was being rude. Gale right out vited the practitioner''s private space as all his secrets wereid bare in his eyes.


    The spy was an iron ranker, in his middle years with two fate-locks. The first one was amon enhancing type, while the next was a shadow element which let him conceal himself in shadowy surfaces.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Obviously, the practitioner didn''t have much of his potential left, though the decades of training left him in a much envious position for anyone who was trying to go the same direction of spirit arts.


    "How?!" the man asked, gritting his teeth,pletely bewildered. "How did you find me?"


    Gale didn''t utter a single word, only stared at him coldly as his intent rummaged through the man''s being. He wasn''t going to be an anime character and exin everything.


    "Do I have to torture you to get all the answers," Gale asked, eventually, "or are you going to cooperate?"


    The culprit, whose whole concern was pain and fear a moment ago, turned defiant. "Haha, kill me," he screamed. He stood on his four limbs, probably considering the sess rate of his escape. "You won''t get anything out of me."


    "So torture it is," Gale said and withdrew the bow into the void lock.


    "Fuck off," the loyal spy yelled, spitting in Gale''s direction.


    The spit would havended right on Gale''s cheek, but the wind changed its direction and splurged all the spit out of the way.


    "You do have a death wish," Gale said. "But it won''te easily."


    He stooped next to the man and pped him in the face mercilessly. The rogue went unconscious and Gale dragged his body into the farmhouse.


    The icy expression had evaporated from Gale''s face by then, reced by an annoying look.


    It had to be a loyal dog of all things. Getting answers out of him would be bothersome. Gale knew very clearly how troublesome loyalists were, particrly when they were in the wrong.


    Honestly, he didn''t have the mood to start with him at the moment. So Gale dumped him inside the farm, locked him in chains and spread a few prepared trap constructs to fix him on the spot. Lastly, he put in a few constructs that act as an rm.


    Let''s see if he could catch more rats with this bait.


    ***


    His third and thankfullyst uninvited guest came veryte at night, breaking his much-deserved sleep. No matter, Gale weed the neer with a sword in hand.


    __________


    Thank you . . . conorogara666, UniBew, Ingotmaan, conorogara11, and SilverBioWolr for the reviews. (Though one of the reviews was deleted again.)


    I haven''t forgotten my challenge to update with 80 chapters in the following month.

 Chapter 46 045 Uninvited Guest (6)

    ?Gale woke up in the middle of the night, utterly annoyed at the audacity of these people.


    Honestly, he wasn''t getting any sleep, alert after everything that happened today. That''s why he found the interloper before they could even make the rm construct re.


    Seriously though, the neer seemed to be totally amateur or utterly confident in their ability toe in and go back unfettered.


    Well, Gale would look to see which one of the two the interloper was. Even though it was pretty clear, they took it a little too easily, taking him as amon farmer.


    Equipping amon sword, Gale got out of the house. With the light of two half moons and his augmented senses, he didn''t have any problem on the way.


    However, he halted just five pacesing out of the house at the very first look of the interloper, who was barely able to creep towards the farmhouse.


    It was a woman, well, girl, to be honest, dragging her legs to move. Drips of blood trailed the way she came in. Her clothes were tattered with blood, as injuries and w marks spread all over her body.


    It looked like she had a spectacr wrestle with a wild beast and lost, though she managed to keep her life and escape.


    She hadn''t noticed Gale yet, still dragging herself barely. Honestly, it was a miracle that she managed to drag herself this far with all the injuries.


    ''So not an enemy,'' Gale mused, inspecting whether the injuries were real.


    The wounded girl was alerted and turned, feeling the feather of aura brushed against her. She found Gale standing with a sword, frowning at her.


    "Ple. . .please . . ." the girl uttered, blood dripping down from her lips. She fell to the ground at the notice of help, though still conscious. Barely.


    Gale took a deep breath and hurried towards the fallen figure. Gale stooped next to her and met her gaze. "Would you mind if I inspect you . . ."


    There was no reply for a while, then she affirmed, blinking. Well, it could be a sign of confusion as well, since Gale wasn''t sure if she could even hear him clearly. But Gale took it as an affirmation and touched her palm.


    He ran his Qi into her body, earning a yelp of pain from her. Gale still continued, discovering all her Qi was in disarray with all the injuries she was afflicted with.


    Gale guided all disarrayed Qi to calm down with his Qi. He continued for about two minutes, though it wasn''t finished yet. In those two minutes, she moaned whenever the Qi travelled near her wounds.


    Gale carried her into the house after that. The girl closed her eyes, though still conscious, though notpletely. He enabled the light construct to enlighten the home andid her on the bed.


    She whimpered at the transfer. Her navel was showing with the tattered clothes, bloody with a serious injury in her waist. A deep w mark ran on her thigh, bleeding at little movement or twitch. Thest terrible wound was a bite mark below her right knee. She had lost some flesh there. It would take some time to heal that.


    Other than that, there were bruises of w marks on her arms, chest, and back, but they weren''t that serious. In contrast, the other wounds were serious enough to end her life as a practitioner.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale went to the other room and rummaged through all the stuff to bring back healing potions, antiseptic medicine, ointments, gauze, bandages, fresh clothes, and hot water.


    He didn''t make her drink the healing potion first, as it was not a good idea to introduce a new root of energy when her own Qi was in disarray. He dozed her with painkillers, removed her tattered clothes and washed her wounds.


    The girl groaned and wailed throughout the process as he applied medicine to her wounds. She finally passed out at some point. Gale finished applying the healing ointments and bandaged the wounds to cover her in new clothes.


    After all that, he helped calm her Qi, guiding with his own. He had to sit next to her for half an hour to make it happen. Finally, when he was done, he made her drink the healing potion. The girl was an iron ranker, so he figured her body could handle it.


    All the treatment was a weird experience, not that he never helped a woman with their injuries, but never like this. Not to mention, this girl was aplete stranger.


    He wondered what her response would be when she woke upter, knowing a man had changed her clothes and treated her wounds. Well, if she makes a big fuss about like an ungrateful brat, all he had to do was kick her out.


    Done with the treatment, Gale moved out of the room. Regrettably, all his other rooms were full of spirit coins or other stuff. In the end, he could only rest on the couch.


    Today had turned out to be such a bother.


    ***


    Gale woke up at dawn to find the wounded girl nowhere to be seen. Honestly, he didn''t think she had in her to move after such wounds. Her injuries were serious enough to take weeks to heal.


    Gale might even be able to find her if he searched around. With such wounds, she wouldn''t be able to go far.


    Well, she did leave him with something. There was a note lying on the side table next to the bed. Gale read:


    [This Su Mei apologises for leaving, exchanging no words of gratitude. However, this humble girl believes gratitude must be paid with action, not just words. Regardless, I''m exceedingly grateful to you for caring for my wounds and taking me into your house. I wouldn''t have made it out without your help.


    [Until I find a way to pay my gratitude, this Su Mei owes a great deal of debt to. . .Mysterious Farmer Expert.


    [Thank you.


    [¨C Su Mei]


    ___________


    https://discord.gg/quTphwzTxA

 Chapter 47 046 The Shadow Of Past (1)

    ?The day''s work was done; the workers all left; Vale was in the mountains, ying; nobody else was spying on him; now should be the right time to get some answers from the captive.


    Gale whistled his way into the farmhouse, trying to look as carefree as possible. These kinds of jobs were quite bothersome for him. It was rather easy to make a mistake during the interrogation.


    He needed to advance with the right amount of acting and indifference.


    Gale would''ve liked to leave it to the professional, rather than dirtying his hands, but since the culprit was captured by him and he thought it would be better if he handled this first.


    Gale found the captive clinging to the pole he left him with. With the chains bounding his figure, he had zero freedom to move around.


    Even with his Qi suppressed, the iron body provided enough healing to have him somefort, though still far from healing. Also, it would need a great amount of willpower and stamina to keep sitting on one ass cheek, which the captive didn''t seem to have.


    Well, it was almost a full day since he had been captured and thrown into this dark confine.


    The captive''s closed eyes fluttered open, hearing the whistle as he lifted his head. He tried to move to sit properly, but only managed to groan with the clothes stuffed in his mouth.


    "Good morning, sleepyhead," Gale said, even though it was evening. Well, what would the captive know? Gale bound him in a dark corner and put all those restrictions that he should have no clue about the outside world.


    Time was hard to measure when you''re in pain, after all. For all that matters to this man, it may even feel like a week.


    All this was quite cruel, to be honest, nevertheless, the real cruelty was about to transpire.


    "Do you still hold on to the hope that somebody wille to rescue you?" Gale asked. He wasn''t looking for an answer. He brought out a chair and sat down. A knife appeared in his palm in the next moment as he fiddled with it masterfully.


    "You know what I want," Gale told the worn out wounded prisoner. "Give me the answers and I might let you off to someone more responsible than me."


    ". . ."


    Gale frowned. Without any care, he pinned the dagger into the calf of the man. The captive broke into muffled cries of agony as the clothes were still stuffed in his mouth. He struggled, though couldn''t move much with all the restrictions.


    A light bulb lit up above Gale''s head as he saw the clothes restricting the captive from speaking. "Oh," he said, acting genuine, "I forgot about that."


    He removed the clothes from the man''s mouth as the captive glowered at him.


    "Now you can give me the answer. Tell me who sent you after me."


    The captive panted, defiance in his eyes, though the fear deep embedded in them couldn''t be mistaken. Good, Gale''s little ploy was sessful. All this nonchnce and callousness was to show the captive, Gale couldn''t care less about his life and would do anything to get the answer.


    Honestly, to the right torturer, even the strongest of the heart would break. They would break, and they would make shit up to get it done with. Gale had the misfortune of getting under someone like that very early in his journey.


    Gale hadn''te out unbroken out of that, which left him rather sick of everything rted to it. That''s why he would need to get this over with as quickly as possible.


    However, the captive didn''t seem to be in any haste to answer, much to Gale''s distaste.


    "Did you not hear me?" Gale asked, his voice slow and still. His hand reached for the hilt of the knife that struck with captive''s leg. Gale didn''t remove the knife, only nudged it in all directions slowly, earning screams of excruciating agony.


    "Demon," the captive bellowed in between his groans. "You''re a demon."


    Gale''s face twisted unsightly. "Well, that''s not a very nice thing to say," Gale said. "I always considered myself as the hero and held onto the belief even when this damn world was hell-bent on making me something else."


    Gale withdrew the dagger, gaining another piteous groan from the captive.


    "You don''t believe me?" Gale clicked his tongue andmented. "Why don''t people believe me when I always tell the truth or the closest to it? Perhaps I should borate.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "My friend, you have all the time in the world. I''m sure you won''t mind hearing a crazy man babble a few things, right?"


    The captive didn''t answer,pletely lost.


    "Right?" Gale repeated. He smacked his foot in the face of the man with just about the right amount of mercy. If he used all of his strength, he would already be a mess of bloody sap. A majestic amount of Qi transmitted out of him and possessed the captive, viting his natural aura and engulfing them.


    "RIGHT?"


    The captive nodded in his confines, horrified.


    Gale calmed down and the Qi suppression vanished. He pulled his tunic to show a straight scar that ran straight from his chest to the side of his stomach.


    "Do you know how hard it is for a practitioner to get a scar and hold onto it even after advancing to Gold?" Gale asked rhetorically. "Qi is a marvellous thing. It heals most things, most scars with time or the right medicine. Even better, the advancement metamorphosis left nothing unsightly in the body. Almost.


    "However, this one doesn''t stand among most scars." Gale paused and got closer to the captive''s ear. "My friend, have you heard of Soul scars?"


    The captive''s eyes were horrified, and Gale confirmed he knew about this. Soul Scars were pretty hard to get, after all, most people tend to die before getting one.


    "Do you wanna know how I got these scars?"


    A chill ran down the captive''s spine. Satisfied with his reaction, Gale continued:


    "I came to this world tattered, broken, andpletely lost. The only thing that kept me standing was the hope of better days, the hope that all this suffering would end. So I struggled. I pushed further. I travelled. I loved. I fought. I lost. I trusted and was betrayed. . . I stood back up. Do you know what I got in return?


    ? "Iid my life out for you people, prepared to die fighting creatures of nightmare. Do you know what I got in return?"


    Gale wasn''t sure how much acting was there anymore. "These scars and much more."


    Gale leaned back in the chair, cupping his palms. "How can you people be so ungrateful?"


    The captive was left in awe,pletely overwhelmed. He couldn''t meet Gale''s gaze.


    Gale collected himself, letting out a breath. "I''ll ask you a couple of questions and you only have to say: yes or no. No, even better, just blink once for affirmation. Do you get me?


    Again, no response.


    Gale grunted. "Do you want one of these soul scars?"


    The captive responded immediately this time, shaking his head.


    "Good," Gale said and added inwardly, ''''Cause, I don''t have it in me to give it to you.''


    Gale cleared his throat. "Blink, alright. Did anyone from the Han family or close to them send you after me?"


    The captive blinked once.


    __________________


    This ain''t dark, is it? I really didn''t want to make it dark in any way, but without some outburst of emotion, it isn''t easy to progress the character.


    Happy new year.

 Chapter 48 047 The Shadow Of Past (2)

    ?Shi Fan practised Qi control, walking on water. Well, it was more like running on the water than walking. Walking was still far away from his grasp. Perhaps after he advances to silver.


    Anyway, it was a neat trick to run on water. All he had to do was thrust his Qi the moment his feet touched the surface. Sounds pretty easy, and it was actually easy. Anyone with a bit of control in the iron rank could do it.


    However, what Shi Fan was practising was a little different. Shi Fan pushed Qi to the lowest minimum required for him to move around on the water. His focus was on creating the least amount of ripple on the surface of the river.


    Honestly, he wasn''t doing a great job in thest part.


    On the mountain terrain, the river was streaming fast, yet with each step of his foot and Qi thrust, he created enough upheaval that would not lose out whenpared with a sumo wrestler falling into the water.


    Well, it had only been two days since he started this training on Twilight''s advice. It wasn''t his primary focus yet. Currently, he was trying to refine his intent, putting himself through hard challenges.


    Running on the water was only to rx and cultivate his movement skill.


    Still, it was taking quite an effort. In about an hour more, he would bepletely drained. Considering that he would have to hunt a beast for the meal, he ended the practice within half an hour.


    Shi Fan barely got out of the river and was wondering if Twilight was nearby when something caught his attention. A creature was rushing at tremendous speed in his direction from high up, waking everything in its way.


    Shi Fan took position, surging his Qi through his channels. He was about to equip his sword when a familiar ''woof'' resounded in his ears. Shi Fan paused, though wasn''t really relieved.


    Eventually, a furry beast came into his vision, lunging with all his might. Vale rushed at Shi Fan, reminding the youth again how their first encounter had been. Shi Fan gripped the hilt tightly, looking around to see if he could find Twilight anywhere.


    He couldn''t, but he did see a figureing down from the sky. The dog didn''t attack Shi Fan, much to his delight, though the way it was running in a circle orbiting him, warned him what was toe.


    The owner of the dog dropped in front of him with that iconic smile on his lips. Shi Fan flinched, wondering about his next course of action.


    "Peace," Gale said, drawing his arms wide in the air.


    "Senior, what are you doing here?"


    "Taking care of stuff," Gale said. Vale finally stopped running around Shi Fan and went back to his master, lunging in much delight. Gale ruffled the dog with affection. "Alright, alright, you won."


    He turned left, right, anywhere his eyes could follow, as if looking for a hidden enemy. Shi Fan strengthened his will to not sweat profusely. He knew exactly what he was looking for.


    "So where''s your friend?" Gale asked, eventually.


    "Friend?" Shi Fan repeated dumbly as his mind wondered how this fellow found him so easily. Not to mention understood his connection with Twilight.


    Twilight had mentioned parts of her encounter with this weird senior, where she had to take some loss. He clearly remembered Twilight''s advice: Stay as far away as possible from him.


    Shi Fan was doing exactly that. He changed hisir, leaving almost no trails behind, yet they found him. Perhaps it was the dog.


    "Your friend," Gale added, still trying to figure out where Twilight was hiding, "they is good."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "They?" Shi Fan was startled.


    "I know it''s one person," Gale told him. "Tall, d in ck Gothic clothes with an eerie absence of presence. I''m unaware of their inclination of sex or if they even have one."


    Shi Fan gaped with his mouth wide open. He joined Gale in watching around. "Senior, I. . . ."


    "Don''t worry, as long as I can confirm it''s a misunderstanding, I would be the happiest person here. Who do you think will want a creep watching over their back all the time? And the worst part is, I may not be able to find them all the time."


    "Senior, it''s truly a misunderstanding," Shi Fan said, swallowing. "My friend, she didn''t have any bad intentions, only wanted to see if you harbour any bad intentions towards me."


    "She?" Gale raised an eyebrow.


    Shi Fan nodded. "She confirmed that you don''t have any bad intentions towards me." She Fan paused, looking around, wondering if Twilight would ever show up.


    "She isn''t here, is she?"


    "I don''t know," Shi Fan said truthfully. "She shows up from time to time to remind me she is there or if I need anything."


    "If I attacked you now, do you think she would show up?"


    Shi Fan opened his mouth to answer, but pursed immediately, unsure what to say that would stop this brutish senior.


    Gale chuckled. "Rx, I''m only joking. Anyway, I don''t think I''ll get a look at her anytime soon. So let''s get to business. I want to buy some amount of Pure crystal from you if it''s okay with you?"


    Shi Fan blinked and considered the proposal. He still would''ve liked Twilight''s presence next to him, which would give him much of the courage he would need. But it looked like he had to do it on his own.


    "Senior, didn''t you say you don''t have any use for them?


    "It''s not for me."


    Shi Fan nodded, understanding. "How much?"


    "Not much, about a couple of kilograms."


    Shi Fan hummed in contemtion. He would have no trouble with this exchange, though he would like to consult Twilight first. To clear things up, it would be ideal to agree to this deal.


    "Unfortunately, senior, I don''t have all the pure crystal on me. As you know, they radiate aura all the time."


    ____________


    Happy New Year.

 Chapter 49 048 Shadow Of The Past (3)

    ?In the end, Gale couldn''t make the deal work, this time around. Well, Shi Fan agreed, which was good, just that he would have to wait a little longer as all of Shi Fan''s treasures were with his ghost friend.


    Shi Fan must trust that Ghost a great deal to leave everything with her.


    After reminding Shi Fan that he would find him again and be ready for the exchange, Gale departed.


    There were still a couple of hours for the sun to go down, so they wouldn''t have to haste. Vale seemed to be quite familiar with the wilderness, though he refrained from running wild after the day he got lost.


    As the two of them moved leisurely at their own pace, the dog halted abruptly, woofing at nothing. Gale blinked and scanned the surroundings carefully when a gothic figure materialised in one branch thirty yards away. That''s almost double the distance Gale traversed in one sweep to attack her the other day.


    Still, eerie with the ck-cloaked ng to her body, hiding everything about her other than the purple eyes, though, her presence was more known this time around.


    Gale waited, refraining from making any attempt at conversation. Vale stopped growling, too, as the figure didn''t advance to attack.


    An exchange went in the silence as if it was a contest to see who would remain silent till the end. The ghostly figure brought out a b of pure crystal from her clothes, showing it to represent her intention.


    "Do you have ''autism'' or something?" Gale couldn''t help but say.


    Again, there was no response. Eventually, she spoke like before, one word at a time. "Exchange," she said. "You. Want?"


    "Sure," Gale said, nodding.


    "Eighteen hundred gold coins."


    "That''s a steeper price than I imagined," Gale mumbled. Two kilograms of pure crystal cost him quite close to a thousand gold coins thest time he exchanged, though he hadn''t used gold coins at that time, but items of equal value.


    Eventually, he could only agree. Pure Crystals were quite a rare ingredient, after all.


    It sold out most of the time when ites to any store, no matter what price it was sold at. Besides, thest time Gale had any exchange of Pure crystal was three, four years ago, in the southernnd. Prices of such items tend to fluctuate from time to time.


    Or perhaps this ghostly watcher had seen his immense wealth and wanted to rip him off. The former options were probable, though thetter seemed likely.


    "Well, will youe down to make the exchange happen?" Gale asked again, finding no response from her.


    "Drop the spirit coins on the ground first." Gale still couldn''t make out whether it was a woman''s voice or a mans, even though Shi Fan seemed certain this figure was a female.


    Gale did as he was told as gold spirit coins started to pour out of a hole facing him at eye level. Gale''s eyes only watched the ck-cloaked figure, though. She was tranquil as always. No flicker of emotion rose in her eyes as she remained on the branch.


    "Do you takemissions from everyone?" Gale asked.


    The ghostly figure lifted her head to meet his gaze. "As long as themission didn''t ask for anything wicked and in my field."


    Gale nodded. He closed the void-lock, measuring there were enough spirit coins on the ground. "And the rate?"


    "Depends on the work."


    "For general spying?" Gale asked again. "The type you did on me. How much did Shi Fan pay you for that?"


    "Two hundred silver spirit coins per day."


    Gale tilted his head, as there seemed to be no addition. "Did you give him a friendly discount for being your friend or something ''cause that seemed super cheap?"


    She didn''t respond.


    "Would you agree to amission from me?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Depends."


    "On what?"


    "My avability, your trustworthiness, and the work." She didn''te down to collect the money. "I''m not currently avable."


    Gale thought she would tell him he was untrustworthy the next moment. "When will you be avable?"


    "Next week for undercover work only."


    "Cool," Gale said, "Do you have a longread?"


    The figure shook her head. "You can get Shi Fan''s contact from him. He had inherited his master''s Longread."


    "Or perhaps I should give you mine," Gale said and brought out a small golden gem. He tossed it towards her, though she didn''t catch it. Instead, she disappeared from the spot as the contact gem fell to the ground.


    This was probably his fastest rejection. Galemented and found the figure appearing on a higher branch.


    "Don''t throw strange stuff at people."


    "It''s only amunicational construct. You have never seen it? It''s quite easy to use, just connect it with a Longread and--" Gale hadn''t finished his phrase when he found the b of pure crystal flying towards him at a tremendous pace.


    Gale was taken aback, though he didn''t move from his spot. Unlike the ghostly entity, he caught the pure crystal b with his right arm. It weighed over three kilograms on his hand, leading him to consider if Shi Fan was short on spirit coins.


    "Deal''s done," the ghostly figure said. "Go back first. I''ll collect the coins next."


    ''Cautious,'' Gale mused. That''s why she didn''t catch the contact gem. Anyway, although he would like to know more about her state and what exactly she was, the ghostly figure was as unapproachable as always.


    In the end, he would only leave along with Vale.


    Gale halted, walking ten paces away from the heap of coins. The figure was still on the branch. Gale wondered how she appeared so aloof even when being cautious.


    "Sorry, I didn''t catch your name."


    "Twilight."


    "Cool," Gale couldn''t help but say, "is that the name you chose?"


    Twilight didn''t think there was a need to answer his question. She vanished and appeared next to the small heaps of coins. She collected them into her dimension storage device and vanished, not even giving Gale another look.


    Gale smiled, turning towards Vale, who looked at him confusingly.


    "You''re still here, aren''t you?" Gale intoned and waited. A serene wind blew from the mountains, fluttering his hair.


    No reply came.


    "As long as you aren''t creepy . . ."


    __________


    Discord: https://discord.gg/DFynG4y4Na

 Chapter 50 049 Shadow Of The Past (4)

    ?Gale didn''t think he would meet anyone coincidentally today in the jungle, but he seemed to be mistaken as his eyes followed a figure moving through the jungle, from one branch to another, moving at a rapid pace.


    The figure disregarded his presence at first, moved without discovering him, but came back after covering some distance.


    Sun Ziang dropped from the branch of the tree, facing Gale. "I knew I wasn''t mistaken."


    "Well, congrattions," Gale greeted.


    "Woof!" Vale too.


    The handsome scion of the Sun n was too exhausted to respond to Gale''s jab of sarcasm. It seemed Sun Ziang was in the wilderness for a few days. His striking silver hair wasn''t glued to his scalp anymore, swaying along the wind. His clothes weren''t clean either, stained with blood, sweat, and dirt.


    "You''re in the mountains since thest time I saw you?"


    Sun Ziang shook his head. "I had been in the town for a while after you left," he said. "As for the mountains, I have been here for five days counting today."


    "Must be something in particr you''re looking for here?"


    Sun Ziang nodded, though didn''t get into the topic. "I heard you were looking for me?"


    "That was over a week ago." Gale said, and paused. "Now that you''re asking, I still have some use of you. Are you going back?"


    Sun Ziang nodded.


    "Good. Come with me. I have something to deliver to you."


    They left in sprints from there, exchanging little of what''s going on with their life these past few days. Gale told him about the bandits and the spy he captured, to which the noble son reassured he would take care of his duty of being an enforcer.


    As for the reason Sun Ziang was in the mountains, it was a little moreplicated than he led on. Supposedly, Sun Ziang was looking for a particr mountain for some reason. Perhaps some hidden inheritance ground, though, how something here in this backwater town could tempt the noble scion of the Sun n¡ªGale wasn''t sure.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to tell you," Sun Ziang told him. "I simply don''t know theplete picture."


    "No worries."


    "All I know is that some ancestors of our family were stationed here."


    "Ancestors, that should have been a long time ago."


    Sun Ziang nodded. "Five thousand years at least."


    "Jesus, mate. Five thousand years, was there anything other than these mountains at that time?"


    "Of course," Sun Ziang added. "The cataclysm urred ten thousands years ago which reset the world, but not everything destroyed at that point. Apparently, there was supposed to be a lost civilization that survived the catastrophe and left us with the legacy of spirit arts. Because of them, we''re still able to flourish."


    "People don''t seem to learn much from history, do they? Anyway, what happened to that civilization? If they were that great, how they were lost?"


    "We aren''t sure, though the belief was that they left our world and ascended to the divine realm."


    Gale clicked his tongue. "Are you looking for them in the mountains?"


    "I don''t know," Sun Ziang said. "This is supposed to be my punishment. At first, I thought it would only waste some of my time, but after venturing into the mountains, only then I learned how big of trouble I was in."


    "You encountered something fishy?"


    "You won''t believe me if I say this, but I got lost multiple times in this jungle."


    Gale halted and turned to Vale, who tilted his head as a silentmunication transferred between them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "For real?"


    Sun Ziang sighed. "I made no progress, which led me to wonder why Mother forced me here. All of this should be in her calction."


    Gale frowned. "Wait, is your mother the matriarch? Sovereign White Spring?"


    "I thought you didn''t know much about the eastern domain."


    "Dude, I''m new to this ce, but wasn''t living under a rock before. Everyone knows all the big shots like the Sovereigns and Sages."


    "My bad," Sun Ziang said. "And yes, I''m her son, the youngest."


    Gale wasn''t very knowledgeable about the families of sovereignty, but as far as he was concerned, Sovereign White Spring had several offspring over the years. Sun Ziang was the only child she had in recent times, as it takes several decades for a sovereign to bear a child the way she wanted.


    Well, from the look of Sun Ziang, all the wait should be worth it.


    Anyway, some of her children were hundreds of years old, and have children of their own who''re already as big as this dude here or even older.


    Every one of Sun Ziang''s age would hail him uncle or great uncle in rtion. Sun Ziang must have had a terrible time in his n.


    Gale chuckled, thinking that.


    "I can probably guess what you''re thinking," the white harried fellow said with a snort.


    "Yeah, it''s a great tragedy you don''t have a sister close to your age."


    Sun Ziang red at him.


    "I''m merely joking," Gale said in defeat. "Who do you think I am to court a sovereign''s daughter?"


    Sun Ziang snorted. "You seem exactly like a person who disregards a person''s identity and does anything you like."


    "What gives such a poor impression?"


    "Take this moment for instance, how you''re talking to me causally even after knowing my mother is one of the strongest individuals in this world."


    ''Well, you''re not wrong, though most of it is because your mother isn''t here. Still, it''s a great tragedy, you don''t have a sister of a simr age.''


    Well, even if there were, it''s not like they would fall for him with how he was now. Perhaps Vale could help, but it was a pipe dream in the end.


    "It''s not so easy to court the women of our n," Sun Ziang said, piercing directly into his intentions. "They will beat the crap out of people first and ask questionster. Advance with caution if you like."


    Gale coughed. "Sounds feisty."


    ______________


    Monthly Goal: Priv chapter unlock: 63/1000


    Hey, do you like this book? Drop golden tickets, power stones, or just words of encouragement to show appreciation. It would motivate me most to write more.


    Also, I made a discord server, feel free to join.


    Discord: https://discord.gg/DFynG4y4Na


    you can also find the link at the end of synopsis too.

 Chapter 51 050 Shadow Of The Past (5)

    ?They reached the farnd, exchanging all sorts of topics, from lost civilization and spirit arts to mundane matters. Sun Ziang was surprised to learn Gale could fly. Also, wanted to know more about how Gale could hide his aura so delicately that even though he could only detect he was only a copper ranker.


    Sun Ziang seemed more open than he was in the inn, where he presented a reserved front.


    "Nice ce you''re building," Sun Ziang said, finding the workers working on the frame of the house.


    Though there''s a long way to go, it did frame out the way Gale imagined. Well, Gale was involved in most of the decision-making. Of course, it would have the reflection of his imagination.


    Still, it would take three-four weeks to be done with everything about the house. Gale''s n evolved along with the building as he asked them to make the framework for a greenhouse, as well as the outside bath and tank too.


    "It takes a lot of courage to give up the martial path," Sun Ziang continued as Gale led into the house. "Especially when you''re not that old. You''re not even that much older than me, a couple of years at best."


    It was not just about courage. Power has a thing about them. It changes people the more you hold on to it. People could go erratically if they were suddenly found incapable of exerting power anymore.


    They created psychological cues in their mind on their own unconsciously, which with umted frustrations and disappointments, may develop into a dire mental disorder.


    The people of this world called it the Heart demon, not properly understanding the reasons behind it. However, it wasn''t all supernatural. It could happen with anything mundane as well. Even on earth, people have problems like these.


    In honesty, Gale was in better shape than these people. He always had a broad perspective of the world, which led his master¡ªa grandmaster¡ªto take him as a disciple.


    Gale''s talent was just above average, potential worse than amon mortal with himing from earth. Although supernatural happenstance led him to have some unique power that was rather umon even in this world, it was his view of the world, and reasoning skill that impressed the grandmaster.


    "I''m not afraid to admit it," Gale conceded, "but I really would''ve liked to spend a few more years in the marital world, adventuring new ces and people, their traditions and cultures."


    "Is that why you came to Tianhui?"


    Gale didn''t immediately respond. He led the guest into the drawing room. "What would you like? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocte?"


    "I think I would like a bath first, but it would dy me," Sun Ziang said after a thought. "Tea will do fine. Thank you."


    "So you''re retiring in this ce? Alone," Sun Ziang said as Gale prepared the tea. He was weirdly talkative today. "Wouldn''t it be better to stay with the people you''re closest to?"


    Gale smiled ruefully. He poured hot water nonchntly and brought out the herbal tea. "Say you''re in my position," Gale said, eventually. "You''re one promising youngster with all the potential anyone would be envious of. I guess that''s pretty easy for you to imagine with you being one such youth.


    "Anyway, under some circumstances, you chose to end your martial path. Can you meet your mother''s eyes after that? Every now and then like you did before?"


    Sun Ziang went silent as the herbal odour filled the room. "I think I understand where you''re getting at," Sun Ziang said. "And no, I won''t be able to meet the disappointment in my mother''s eyes. I would probably do something like this, now that I see this clearly."


    Gale smiled and served the tea. This young scion probably never thought of giving up oring to a circumstance where he would have to give up. With his mother being one of the most powerful individuals in this world, there wasn''t much problem in this world she couldn''t handle.


    Even if such thoughts came to his mind, he was probably assured his mother could solve it easily.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''A sovereign could probably do something about corruption,'' Gale thought and shook his head.


    They spent a few more minutes in small talk, appreciating the tea until it ended and the time for the business came.


    Gale told him the captive was being held in the farmhouse and led him there.


    "You''re still going to venture the mountains, right?"


    "That''s my punishment," Sun Ziang said, nodding. "But if I''m really going to do this, I won''t do it like this anymore. Perhaps I''ll band with some other people first."


    "Yeah, going solo is a terrible n," Gale advised. "You need to stay alert all the time, which could make you exhausted pretty easily. Besides, with other trustworthy people, the work seems to flow naturally."


    "I seem to hear your nostalgia speaking there," Sun Ziang chuckled. "Already missing adventuring days?"


    Gale smiled and didn''t reply.


    "I haven''t been with trustedrades anywhere," the noble scion continued. "Yes, Ipleted missions with other people, but they weren''t my friends or peers. More like subordinates. . . ."


    "Thankfully, you have an entire worldid open for you."


    Gale opened the farmhouse and led Sun Ziang towards where the captive was held. Gale didn''t forget to advise on following him exactly as there were trap constructs in ce.


    Gale unlocked them one after another as he led on. Since he was to hand-over the captive, there wasn''t any reason to keep the traps. Someone else might get caught in them. Vale might even try to be over smart and get caught in them.


    "You know script-work too?" the noble son asked, discovering how easily Gale was undoing trap constructs that was too hard for him to understand.


    "I know a thing or two."


    "Did you make those traps, too?"


    "Most of them, yeah."


    That led the noble scion to have a contemtive look. He didn''t have the skill to appease those traps, though they didn''t look novice-work to him. In the end, he remained silent until Gale showed him the worn-out captive clinging to a pool.


    "Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead."


    ________________

 Chapter 52 Interlude (2)

    ?Sun Ziang enjoyed ying Go, not just because he was good at it, though it was the most apparent reason. Go somehow helped in his abstract thinking, and also, it could give him the much-needed break from spirit arts.


    He already yed a couple of games with Grandma Yushen. He lost in the first game, though he made aeback in the next one, though he wasn''t sure whether or not the old woman was holding back. She had beaten him utterly in the first game, after all.


    However, his current opponent¨Cthe old captain¨Cwasn''t much of a yer. Sun Ziang could already see his victory, and it hasn''t even been a quarter of an hour.


    Well, everyone couldn''t be an opponent like Aunt Min, whom he hadn''t managed to win even once. A match with Aunt Min was always interesting, although it was terribly frustrating not to win.


    Aunt Min had spent decades outside the n, and she didn''t cheap out on fascinating topics she came across to tell him.


    Well, the old captain''s experience was appealing, too. Although Sun Ziang wanted to know more about the war, which the old captain deliberately left out, Sun Ziang understood what he wascking after hearing about his experience.


    Experience, dependablerades, and challenging situations. Perhaps that''s why Mother sent him here in this backwater town to do some gruelling work.


    "Looks like you have the game in your pocket already," Old Ziran, the enforcer captain, told him with a burst of mildughter. "Well, that''s the way of the world, younglings surpassing the old, though I haven''t been that much of a yer."


    Sun Ziang made his move. He was about to reply when he felt changes in the atmosphere as a group of four entered the office as if they were the owner of the ce. It was exactly like the prodigal son returning home.


    Apart from the four, Sun Ziang sensed another presence, hidden, watching over the group.


    Sun Ziang reckoned he was there to protect the young lords. He thought nothing of it and turned to view the neers. All of them were young, mostly his age or a bit older. Three of them were iron rankers and were led by a copper ranker whose arrogance seemed to reach heaven as he yelled inside the office, asking who was in charge.


    "Old Ziran, you know them?"


    "Young master of the Han family," the old caption said with an ugly expression, as if he ate a fly. "Along with his group, he''s a top contender in creating trouble. You wait here. I''ll see what he cooked up this time."


    "No," Sun Ziang said and stood up immediately. "I''ll deal with this."


    "Are you sure?"


    Sun Ziang nodded and stepped out to meet Young Master Han. It didn''t take long for the troublemakers to find him in the office''s hall as Sun Ziang stood out wherever he went with his attractive face, silver hair and aura.


    "What''s happening here?" the noble scion of the Sun n asked sternly.


    That earned a sneer from Young Master Han. "Are you the one who imprisoned my man?"


    "Your man?" Sun Ziang raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the assassin I came back withst night?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Who else other than him?" Han Xiao continued, evident hostility in his eyes. "I heard you injured him severely. Is this how you make a first impression? Beating the people you''re supposed to protect?"


    Sun Ziang''s eyes narrowed at the baseless usation. "Your man was caught spying on others, harbouring malicious intentions."


    "What malicious intention?" Han Xiao snorted. Still holding onto the tone of superiority. "He was just watching for a troublemaker. If such an act is a crime, then you have to capture me, too."


    "I have that in mind," Sun Ziang admitted simply. "The prisoner had admitted he was spying on your order. Do you have anything to say about this matter?"


    Han Xiao''s eyes grew incredulous and then he burst intoughter. The three others joined a littlete, brisking the whole office as if it were theatre.


    "Did you hear him? Hahaha!" Young Master Han came forward to p Sun Ziang on the shoulder. "Hahaha! How I''ve missed this! Do you know what happened to thest enforcer that tried to act smart before this young master?"


    "I don''t know, nor am I interested." Sun Ziang shrugged off the hand from his shoulder. "Also, don''t act impudently like this with an enforcer. It is a punishable crime."


    "Hahaha!" Han Xiao looked over to meet the old captain''s gaze. "Hey, old man, are you hearing him? This new--"


    The next word hadn''t left Young Master Han''s lips when his world tilted as he was shoved into the concrete ground, face first. He groaned exaggeratedly and tried to get up, but a foot on top of his back held him in ce. No matter how much strength he exerted, it all turned futile against the boulder-like presence that stood above him.


    "Throw him into the prison," Sun Ziang ordered.


    The guards or the junior enforcers didn''t move from the spot and looked at the old caption in the corner of their eyes. Whereas the three iron rankers moved closer to rescue Young Master Han.


    "Bastard! Bastard!" Han Xiao didn''t rest his scream, however. "You don''t know what you''re doing. You don''t know who my uncle is."


    Sun Ziang stared dead at the three iron rankers and red his Silver ranked Qi, overwhelming them in pressure. One of them took the knees immediately, while the other two soon followed, eyes alert in terror of power.


    "You''ll pay for this. My uncle, he''ll--"


    The young enforcer exerted more pressure on his foot to silence the nuisance.


    "Didn''t you hear me?" Sun Ziang told him. "I''m not interested." He turned his head toward the guards. "Didn''t you hear me? Lock him up. As for the other three, charge them with the usual fee for creating trouble inside the precinct."


    Sun Ziang waited to see if the hidden expert would make a move, but he was disappointed to find the presence withdrawing.

 Chapter 53 051 Fate-Locks (1)

    ?The Artisans'' Guild was probably the most iconic architecture in Wayshire. Even if it weren''t thergest currently, it would be in a year or two, as they were still working to expand their reach.


    Wayshire and its surroundings were mostly urban and rural regions. The closest guild branch used to be in Azure Park, which was established about a century ago. However, that was still a few thousand li away, highly inefficient for their business to reach the corner of Tianhui.


    A few years ago, they eventually established another branch in Wayshire, swallowing almost all the business rted to craftsmanship in the surrounding area. Although their business hadn''t reached the point where they could pour money unwittingly to found a proper establishment like how it had been in Azure park.


    Their business in Wayshire started as highly experimental, which eventually led to establishing the base considering future prospects.


    Thest time Gale came to the guild, it was quite crowded, and this time was about the same. They nevercked business, just the quality of the business. Most folks of Wayshire seldom spent in silver marks as most of their businesses ended in copper and iron coins.


    That''s why when the guards of the guild discovered Gale¨Cone of the high spendersing to the guild, they sent messages to the ones in charge. Within a couple of minutes, a couple of neatly robbed men led by Guo Zong came to wee him.


    "Ahh Master Gale, wee," Guo Zong greeted. "I didn''t think you''de so soon getting the news."


    Apparently, it didn''t take them a month to test the artificial fate-lock he provided them with. Gale got news from Shi Jun, who was in charge of building his mansion currently, that the master artisan of Azure park has appraised and sent detailed notes about the artificial fate lock.


    They wanted to deliver the item and test results within this week, but as Gale had some business in town, he decided it would be better for him toe. Besides, he still had to order a lot of stuff to prepare the mansion''s defence and script formation.


    Guo Zong led him off the crowded counter to the lounge, especially avable for VIP customers. They offered him good herbal tea, and cookies first, and eventually handed him the fate-lock core and the result papers.


    "Young Master Gale," Shi Fan said as Gale finished the tea. "Your artificial fate-lock is fine, although you should check all the pointers the master artisan gave in the report."


    Gale nodded and opened the report. It was a single-page report exining what works and doesn''t in the fate-lock core.


    The artificial fate-lock core was fine, as Gale assumed. It was still far from perfect. It was made on the base of an iron-ranked beast core, and that seemed to be at the root of most problems.


    Apparently, the core wouldn''t be able to umte anything above iron rank energy, although, with the cultivation script, it would umte more energy and grow to a certain point.


    However, even absorbing silver-ranked energy from about ten silver spirit coins would overwhelm the core and a few dozen more, it would create Qi deviation in the practitioner''s system. it would eventually shatter if forced through such practise, killing the practitioner.


    Meaning, the practitioner who would fuse with this artificial fate-lock won''t be able to advance further from iron rank without removing the artificial fate lock.


    Good thing artificial fate locks were easier to remove, although it was an excruciating process.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale imagined something like this was possible when put in those scripts. Iron-ranked beast cores only amount to this much.


    Gale would''ve liked higher-rank cores, though it was exceptionally hard to get a higher-ranked, non-attributed beast core. The closest Gale coulde with was life-attributed, which was the most stable to use.


    Anyway, back to the report: It hinted that the beast core could create some minor after-effects after the fusion. Without actual testing, it was too hard to determine what they would be. The master artisan asserted it would be something rted to the physical form of the practitioner.


    He rated the script work as excellent, a master''s work¨Cwhich brought a thin smile to the corner of Gale''s lips. However, as he read the endnote, that smile vanished from Gale''s lips.


    The master artisan remarked that this fate lock as a waste of time. He couldn''t find the necessity for such an item, as it didn''t have any remedial ability that could help a practitioner.


    Any normal artificial fate-lock of a simr caliber could sell for tens or thousands of silver marks just on the values of the scripts alone, as for this one it won''t go above five thousand silver marks.


    An iron-ranked non-attributed core cost around a couple of thousand silver marks because of its rarity. So there was still some profit, though a lot lowerpared with element type or even the normal ability type fate-lock.


    Gale clicked his tongue. It wasn''t that he would be selling this core; it was merely an idle experiment inspired by a n to solve his low Qi issue.


    Gale rested the paper and met the old apprentice''s eyes.


    "Master Gale, do you have any more requests?"


    "Yes," Gale said. "I want to purchase a few items, starting with higher ranked best core, non-attributed or life attributed, necessary ingredients for enhancing scripts, cirction scripts, cultivating scripts. . . ."


    Guo Zong noted everything. "Are you nning on establishing a script formation on your mansion?" he couldn''t contain his curiosity. "Young master Gale, are you a scriber, or do you have someone in mind whom you''d like tomission?"


    "All these I can do on my own," Gale told him and stood up. "Deliver the items as quickly as you can. I''ll be staying the night in the town. You can save manpower if you can deliver them to the Wang''s Inn before the morning."


    Gale left the VIP room and was about to leave for the enforcer''s office when some familiar voice entered his ears.


    _________

 Chapter 54 052 Fate-Locks (2)

    ?Wang Li started practising spirit arts again. Although her work in the inn and Rong''er didn''t leave her with much time to practise, she still managed a couple of two-hour sessions every day for about a week now.


    Well, she had to cut her sleep and wake up before the sun these days. But that''s alright, she wouldn''t want to make excuses from now on.


    One of the apparent reasons she gave up on spirit art was because her family favoured her sister more than she did. But she knew it was only an excuse to make herself feel better.


    Before Wang Li was extremely jealous of this, which almost broke the rtionship between the two sisters.


    But eventually, she understood it was a necessity for their small family. Even though her family was well off, they weren''t even second rate in the martial world. They never managed to produce a Gold ranker, save for maybe Grandma''s first daughter, whom she couldn''t even remember.


    Wang Li knew they didn''t do justice to her, sending most resources to her sister, but she understood it was a necessity for a n like theirs. Her sister Wang Qi had a talent that was first-rate even in most silver-ranked guilds and sects.


    It wasn''t wrong of them to believe that Wang Qi could lead the Wang Family to new heights in the martial world.


    However, teenager Wang Li was too foolish to understand all that. Then many things happened, and her rtionship with the family degraded.


    Both sisters used toe to Wayshire during festive seasons, however, as Wang Qi had the hard responsibility on her shoulder, she stoppeding to any family function or festivals and focused solely on her spirit arts.


    She eventually joined Misty Pce, a gold-ranked sect, exceeding the family''s expectations.


    Whereas Wang Li had been a disappointment from then on. She maintained a distance from the family and stayed in Wayshire for longer.


    She met Gu Dong, her grandma''s pupil, during her visits and fell in love. She married him, even knowing her parents would cut her off. Wang Li settled here about four and a half years ago and hadn''t practised spirit arts seriously since then.


    However, her family wasn''t the same for over a year. They almost came on the verge of breaking thest time the couple argued.


    Wang Li had talked little with her husband after that fight. Only out of necessity, to be honest. Other than being furious with his unfaithful conduct, she was devastated to learn there was no respect left between them any longer.


    They stopped understanding each other, and the rtionship hadn''t remained the same merely on faith.


    Wang Li wasn''t sure what she wanted to prove by getting back to practising spirit arts again. She couldn''t prove anything to her family or her sister¡ªthey were right, and she was wrong¡ªbut perhaps there was still hope left for her in her marriage.


    In the martial world, respect can only gain through individual power, her grandmother''s words, which she had learned painfully.


    When she mentioned she would want to practise again, grandmother didn''t even frown or belittled her, unlike her husband, who didn''t even give a second nce when she meditated. Grandma listened to her intention and supported her fully.


    She even took some responsibility off her shoulders so that she would have enough time to meditate.


    The first week had been the hardest. Wang Li could barely get back into cycling. Years of undisciplined conduct had made her body sluggish to Qi transferring. She could barely do something in two hours that used to take her a quarter of an hour at first.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But as the week progressed, Wang Li eventually got attuned to the practice, though still not at her peak. She hadn''t managed to umte energy in the slightest, still working to refine the amount she had.


    Honestly, Copper rank didn''t amount to too much. She didn''t even have a fate lock to progress further, not that she could even if she had. Iron rank was the bar setter, whereas anyone could advance to copper, absorbing enough spirit coins.


    Well, anyone but Xiaolin, that poor girl, she had a talent that far surpassed even her sister ording to Grandma, yet heaven gave her such a constitution that couldn''t do a thing about it. However, Xiaolin was still diligent and that Wang Li could admire.


    She had given up after getting nowhere for a short while, whereas this frail-looking girl still continued even after half a decade.


    Wang Li ended the morning session a littlete, elected as she finally made some progress. She opened her eyes to find her grandmother, standing right next to her. She had a warm smile on her lips.


    "Grandma, how long have you been here?"


    "I just came back after walking a loop through the inn," Grandma Yushen said. "Is your practice getting steady?"


    Wang Li nodded.


    "Good, now you''d need to visit the artisans'' guild."


    "For what?"


    "The cultivation chamber needed renovation," Grandma Wang said. "Also, while you''re at it, check if you can find any Fate-locks, artificial or genuine to your liking."


    "Grandma, you mean . . ." Wang Li''s voice trailed off as she was lost for words.


    "Do you think you can only advance through diligence, Granddaughter?" The old woman chuckled.


    "But, grandma--"


    "Don''t worry about it. I have enough wealth to let you advance to iron rank easily. What I would do even with them, my time is not far away. Well, that is good too. I''ll leave behind my Fate-locks for you and Rong''er."


    "Grandma, don''t talk like that."


    "Silly girl," Grandma Yushen came forward and rubbed her shoulder. "Actually, I have an unfused fate-lock with me. Ling''er gave it to me decades ago in the hope I''ll fuse with it and could live a couple of hundred years more."


    "Why didn''t you?"


    "These old bones can''t handle the pressure anymore," Grandma Wang said tiredly. "I had passed it to your grandfather when he tried to advance to Silver. He failed, and it has been left with me since then."

 Chapter 55 053 Fate-Locks (3)

    ?Wang Li prepared to visit the guild on her own, but at thest minute, she asked Xiaolin to join her. The poor girl had been growing frustrated getting nowhere with her cultivation.


    Even though she had enough resources and worked all day diligently, Xiaolin hadn''t made much progress these past few days. Her old problems still impeded her practice, rendering all her efforts futile. Frustrated, she even started practising punching, kicking, and weightlifting.


    Xiaolin was exhausted on the ground when Wang Li found her.


    Despite being tired, Xiaolin was interested in Fate locks, so she joined, washing immediately. The path wasn''t long, barely a few minutes of walk from the inn. They still visited with enough time in hand, knowing it could take them a couple of hours easily, even though they were only there to see.


    "Elder sister, what do you know about Fate locks?"


    "Not much in particr," Wang Li hummed in reply. "The usual that you''re aware of, such as each rank only let you fuse with one fate lock, and their types. Also, the fusion being permanent until you die."


    "I heard from Senior Gale, artificial fate locks are removable."


    "Really," Wang Li considered. That foreigner seemed to know a lot of things, though mostly about odd things.


    Wang Li didn''t really have any reserved thoughts in this regard. As long as the fate-lock would let her advance to the next rank, she was fine with it.


    It was not like she was going to join the army and fight. Still, she wanted something that would give her some auxiliary abilities. Something that could boost her other skills.


    Wang Li wasn''t that good at concocting medicine, but she knew a thing or two. She was good at gardening too, though she didn''t know what kind of Fate lock there would be that could help her in gardening. Well, she makes clothes too, but she couldn''t think of any fate locks that could boost in this direction.


    "All Fate locks, even the same kind, aren''t the same," Wang Li continued, remembering she knew more of the subject. "Some of them tend to have restrictions, some neededplicated rituals to fuse, while some could hardly be of any use."


    Wang Li had studied all this when she was young. The one her grandmother had¨Cthe one her grandfather failed to fuse with¡ªseemed to be one of the unique ones. It was a life attributed and rather rare. It was mostly used in prolonging one''s life, although it could give super regeneration and healing power.


    Aunt Ling''er, Grandma''s first daughter, had the exact thought when she picked the fate lock for her mother. She wanted her mother to live longer, however, Grandma Wang didn''t have it in her that she could advance further.


    Besides, the ritual of fusing with the said fate lock was troublesome. They have to fuse with it right the moment one advances a rank. It had killed her grandfather, although Grandfather was quite old back then, at the end of his life span. Thest struggle had been a gamble.


    Anyway, Grandma was ready to pass on the Fate lock to her. Wang Li didn''t know what to think of that. Although Grandma could live for a few decades more, she was uneasy about epting it.


    Well, even if she epted it, it wasn''t like she could use it. She could only fuse with it when she advanced to iron, but to advance to iron, she had to lock her foremost fate first.


    That''s why she was here.


    "Linlin, do you have any type of fate lock you''d like to have?"


    "I don''t have a preference," Xiaolin said absent-mindedly. "And it''s not that I can afford anything but the cheapest type."


    "Still, it doesn''t hurt to dream."


    Xiaolin hummed in thought. "Well, if it''s simply dreaming, then I always liked to fly. Like a bird, spreading my wings wide in the vast sky."


    "Yes, flying is a good option. That reminded me, your senior Gale can fly."


    "What?!" Xiaolin broke out of her absent-mindedness and faced her.


    "I''ve seen him fly," Wang Li said, "though he didn''t seem to have wings."


    "Wings?" Abruptly, a new voice joined them. "My senior sister has a pair."<novelnext></novelnext>


    They barely reached the guild when they found the familiar foreignering out. They hadn''t thought of seeing Gale here, as he was supposed toe to the inn first whenever he visit the town.


    "Senior," Xiaolin said.


    "What are you guys talking about?"


    "Senior, you can fly?"


    Gale nodded. "I can dance, surf, cook, and y musical instruments, too."


    "But you do fly?"


    "Sure. Want me to give you a lift?"


    "Yes, Xiaolin would like that very much," Wang Li chimed from the sides.


    "So what brings two beautifuldies to the guild?" Gale asked.


    "My, my, are you flirting?" Wang Li intoned.


    "I''m merely stating the facts," Gale said, gesturing at the crowd. "Look at the crowd and see how many of them are gaping."


    "Certainly, most of them were wasted on Linlin."


    "Elder sister!" Xiaolin blushed and could not meet their gaze.


    "Well, Madam Wang, you''re in the mood today. So what really brings you here?"


    "The cultivation chamber needs renovation," Wang Li said. "Also, we''re here to see what kind of fate locks are avable."


    "Fate-locks?" Gale repeated. "I can be an expert in that topic. Well, at least better than anyone you can find in the guild. Will you like me as your guide?"


    Wang Li turned to stare at Xiaolin who was elected just the very prospect of her senior Gale joining. In the end, Wang Li couldn''t dampen Linlin''s mood.


    "Well, if it doesn''t upset your schedule, please join us."


    __________


    Hello guys, we have a discord server now. Join us to chat, fool around, or simply read preview chapters of my other work.


    Discord: https://discord.gg/DFynG4y4Na


    Also, current schedule: 2 chaps on weekdays, 3 on weekends.


    That would still leave a dozen chapters short of reaching the 80-chapter mark. Perhaps a mass release. . . . Comment to let me know.


    Goal for next month: if the book reaches 1000 privilege chapters unlock this month, then 5 chapters mass-release next month.


    Current progress on the goal: 35/1000

 Chapter 56 054 Fate-Locks (4)

    ?"Senior Gale, are youing to the inn after this?" Xiaolin asked.


    "Not after this, but I''ll be there in the afternoon," Gale said. "I have to attend the prosecution in the enforcer''s office after this."


    "By the way, Mister Gale," Wang Li asked as they went inside the guild. "Why are you ying as a lowly copper ranker from the first day?"


    "ying?" Gale frowned. "I never specifically mentioned I''m a copper ranker, did I? I think you assumed as much because my natural aura is restrained most of the time."


    "Still, I''m sure you knew I and many others have wrongly assumed that of your rank. You can clear our assumptions easily."


    "I could," Gale agreed, "but I saw no point in it."


    "You saw no point in it," Wang Li repeated. "Anyone else would beat their own trumpet if they were in your position. Anyway, if it''s not too delicate to ask, what rank are you? Although I''m terrible at it, I have enoughmon sense to know no low ranker can fly."


    "You''re right about that," Gale agreed. "No lower ranker could fly without a trick. Only a Gem-heart rank expert could do that, though they as much defy gravity more than fly. But I don''t have a gem-heart."


    "So you use a trick to fly?"


    "Yup, one of my fate locks let me have some power of winds."


    "Still, it''s amazing," Xiaolin said from the side.


    "It was a real pain to get hold of that fate lock," Gale remarked, "of course, it''s amazing."


    "Mister Gale, you seemed to have ignored my earlier question about rank. If you don''t want to answer it, it''s fine."


    Gale halted, unsure how to answer her. "It is a delicate matter," he said eventually. "But I don''t like how it affects the rtionship. Like you''re going to treat me differently finding out I''m some supreme master."


    "Are you one?" Wang Li perked her brows.


    "Nope," Galeughed. "Though it won''t hurt to mention, I have three fate locks."


    ''So silver ranker,'' Wang Li thought. ''The same as Grandma and Sun Ziang.'' He must be a genius wherever he was from to reach this rank when he was just about her age. Her sister should be around the same rank now as well, and she had all the privileges she wanted in her sect.


    "I know that look," Gale said, staring at her. "You''re probably wondering what I''m doing here, farming, right?"


    "That''s a given," Wang Li said with a sigh. "Wayshire hardly has a couple of dozen silver rankers, and half of them were old folks, retired off their duty. Of course, I was wondering about your purpose in this town."


    "That''s a long story. I''ll exinter if I can," Gale said. "Though I assure you, it''s nothing profound likeprehending dao or whatnot.


    Gale gestured towards the guild man he was familiar with. He was probably the chief''s apprentice, if she''s remembering correctly.


    "Let''s go on with your business here," Gale said and addressed the man. "Guo Zong, please show thesedies the kinds of fate-locks your institution deals with."


    "Come this way, Gentleman and Madams."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Guo Zong brought them to a hall where all kinds of stuff were showcased for disy. Most of them were fate locks in different forms, from small gems, and fist-sized beads to different weapons like swords, bows, spear, hammers. For each of the items, there was a paper stamped on the back of the wall, imprinting the specification of the item.


    "Browse as you like," Guo Zong told them. "Feel free to ask anything you aren''t sure about, though with Master Gale there, I don''t think you''d need this Guo''s help."


    "What''s your rtionship with him for him to treat us like this?" Wang Li whispered after Guo Zong stood in the back.


    There was no way she would be treated like this on any normal day. Although her grandmother was a respectable figure in the town, they probably would have to stand in line or fill out a form to get an assistant to help them with their choices.


    The guild was a foreign institution, after all. Their reach was all over the ne.


    "Let''s just say I''m a valuable customer," Gale answered and led them to view the fate locks.


    There were about a couple of hundred fate locks showcased in this room, each with distinctive features.


    Wang Li first saw a ck sickle named Shadow w. It was a weapon-type fate-lock, which also gave a shadow element as an auxiliary function. Wang Li didn''t even read the discretion of the sickle and moved on to the next item.


    It was a bead that seemed to be condensed fromva. A fire element fate lock. Unlike the sickle, it was an artificial fate lock. Still, it was much more preferable than the sickle, though she still moved on to the next item.


    However, all the fate locks that were there didn''te to her fancy.


    Wang Li was sure she would''ve wanted half of them when she was young, but her priorities changed as she grew up.


    "Madam Li," Gale asked, eventually, "is there some type of fate lock you have in your mind? I can''t help but notice your uncertainty."


    "All of these are rted tobat," Wang Li said. "Yes, some of them could be used to do other things not rted tobat, but they aren''t their primary function."


    "Ah, I think I understand your dilemma." Gale scanned the whole hall. "What is your preferred type?"


    Wang Li exined what kind of fate lock she wanted. Well, she wasn''t very knowledgeable on this topic, but still, she managed to get her thoughts across.


    "Something to boost your day-to-day life," Gale muttered. "You brew alcohol and grow herbs, right? Would you like a fate-lock that would help you brew superior quality alcohol and grow herbs better? Or some healing type?"


    "I''m interested."


    "Master Gale, I don''t think you can find anything of that type in here," Guo Zong said immediately, noticing Gale''s gaze.


    __________


    Monthly Goal: Priv chapter unlock: 63/1000


    Praise to all who bought the privileged chapters. It was only 35 yesterday.


    Also, a big thank you to Tenthousandsuns for the review.

 Chapter 57 055 Fate-Locks (5)

    ?"The fate lock of that kind was extremely umon, although we have some nt types that can help in growing herbs, there are none that can augment the quality of wine brewing."


    Hope had just kindled in Wang Li''s spirit, but it was watered immediately by Guo Zong.


    ording to him, they didn''t have a single fate lock that had both of the functions Gale mentioned. It would either boost spirit herb cultivation or help in concocting stuff. However, they didn''t have the ones with the concocting function avable in his branch.


    "Wine, potion, pill, all of these were big house business," Guo Zong told them. "They are the fuel to the economy. You can''t imagine how much in high demand they are. If you like, I can request it from our other branches, though I can''t give you any false hopes. It may take months to even years."


    Wang Li knew alcohol was in high demand, but she wasn''t aware it would be like this. She guessed she would have to be happy with the nt-type one. It was better than thebat types, she supposed.


    "For the nt type, we have a few variants," Guo Zong continued. "First, those that could be implemented in battle. We have those in high numbers. But since you aren''t interested in them,e this way. . ."


    Guo Zong brought them to the sides where a few green gems were disyed. Wang Li read the description to find out they were disyed corresponding to their quality. Themon grade, then rare, andstly, the unique one. There were other grades like the legendary and mythic, though something of such caliber couldn''t be stored here.


    They would be robbed no matter how extreme defence they implement. Besides, fate locks weren''tmon cabbages. At least she had only seen a handful of unique fate locks on disy. As for those above, they were legends, like their grades.


    "We only have one of the unique grades," Guo Zong said and pointed at the emerald gem, titled Greenbringer. "It assists in herb cultivation and also has some qualities that can help in battle. As for the auxiliary function, it can generate Qi 50% faster, meaning it can boost your cycling speed."


    Wang Li nodded and found Xiaolin''s eyes sparking at the mention of a boost in cycling speed. Whereas Gale stood as unimpressed as always.


    "Most nt types that can boost a nt''s growth can boost the practitioner''s growth too," he added simply.


    "That''s true." Guo Zong nodded as his eyes grew serious. "However, there''s one catch in this fate lock in particr."


    "There are restrictions on its power?"


    Guo Zong nodded. "It has two. First, the practitioner needs to drink water in high quantities every day until they reach gold," he said. "That''s only a mild detriment. The other one is more serious. Greenbringer conflicts with other elements save for Life, light, water, and earth. Fusing with other fate-locks of other elements than the ones mentioned is highly inadvisable."


    "I guessed as much," Gale added. "How much water do you need to drink regrly, though?"


    "Depends on how much you use Greenbringer," Guo Zong said quietly, finding Gale with a funny expression. "For normal work, twenty litres, more if you''re in a fight. Thankfully, the amount would decrease as the practitioner ranks up."


    "The detriments don''t seem too bad for you," Gale told Wang Li. "What do you say?"


    Wang Li considered. True, she didn''t have any preference in elements, nor would she see herself reaching a high rank. Life, light, water, and earth¨Cthey seemed preferable to her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Silver rank was her limit, and it would take her decades at this rate. She simply couldn''t hope for more.


    "All this seems great," she said truthfully. "But I need to consider the budget as well."


    "Since Greenbringer has such detriments, its price is a bit lower than the other fate lock of this caliber," Guo Zong said with a smile. "Greenbringer is priced at sixteen thousand gold spirit marks."


    Wang Li''s eyes went wide at hearing the price. Again, she understood why her family cut off her resources.


    There was no way her grandmother could afford this. Grandma probably needed to sell her property to get this kind of wealth, as she never kept wealth in hard coins. She would have a couple of thousand in gold marks at best.


    True, she had the wealth stored up in the bank, but Wang Li just couldn''t ask her to waste such wealth on her. Grandma had already helped Wang Li and her family too much.


    Even Wang Qi''s resources in earlier years were given by her indirectly. She still sends money to her family every year. Who knew this better than her? Wang Li mostly handled most of the ounting of her grandma''s property, after all.


    Wang Li said and moved. "What are the prices of themon and umon ones?"


    "The umon ones are priced between one and two thousand gold marks," Guo Zong said, much to her relief. "As for themon ones, around fifty to five hundred gold coins, though they can be exchanged with silver marks as well."


    Relief washed over her as Wang Li learned that themon fate locks could be exchanged with just fifty gold coins. This was way cheaper than she assumed. Even with her saved-up money, she could afford them.


    "It''s rather easy to mass producemon artificial fate locks," Guo Zong exined. "That''s why they were cheaper."


    Wang Li wondered if she should make the purchase right now, writing a bank statement. She refrained in the end, wanting to get advice from Grandma. "Well, I''m fine with it as long as it''s not faulty."


    "They aren''t faulty," Gale said in ce of the manager. "Just second-rate product. I can easily make better than that."


    "WHAT?!" all three of them shouted in unison.


    ________________


    Would you guys like some shback chapters involving Gale''s earlier days?


    I want to do them slowly at ater date, but if you guys like, I can make them happen sooner. Like in the next few days sooner.

 Chapter 58 056 First Disciple (1)

    ?Gale was mostly silent during the prosecution. He didn''t like to attend this kind of event, and he would''ve remained absent if they didn''t need his statement. Well, they could''ve gone on without him, too. Nothing would change the verdict.


    However, being a new denizen of Wayshire, he tried to be civic for a change.


    The way of prosecution here was a bit different. The captain of the enforcer acted as both the judge and executioner, though there should be some formal courts in better towns and cities.


    Anyway, Gale only opened his mouth when he was asked in the witness box, though it was hardly recognised as a witness box. He just had to stand on the podium upied by the judge, enforcers, and all the convicted.


    Gale could detect boring hatred in the eyes of some convicts. Mostly from the young ones, while the old few already gave up and made peace with it. Such was the life of bandits.


    The judge asked him questions one after another and told him to recite the event to the best of his memory. Gale abided as soon as his turn was over, and the judge called up Shi Jun, who was with Gale when the incident took ce.


    After that came some other witnesses who were wronged by the bandits previously. Among them were a bunch of farmers, business owners, and parents of some poor daughters.


    Gale sighed, watching the crowd. His task was done. He could depart now, but he remained until the time of judgement. He couldn''t see the judge being corrupted, still, it was better to be sure.


    Nobody came to testify for the bandits. However, he was a bit surprised to learn the boy that tried to take Vale and the driver as hostages was the son of the bandit leader. Man, banditry was hardly an upation that you would want your offspring to follow. It was one of the few upations where nepotism was undesirable.


    ? Anyway, from whom the bandits got the news of Gale''s wealth still remained a mystery, although he had his guesses.


    Eventually, the time of judgement came, and it was as Gale had assumed. Execution for the bandit boss and his right and left hands, and the younger ones¡ªwho weren''t nearly as infamous or notorious¡ªwere prosecuted with imprisonment and lifelong very.


    They would probably be sent to some terrible mine where they would have to work with everything they have. Gale still remembered the nightmarish mine he had to work in at the beginning of his life in this world.


    Those were pretty terrible times. He had seen many deaths in that time, a few of them ending their own life out of frustration. That was the worst part of his life.


    Gale didn''t remain for the execution, although it was open to the public. Sun Ziang remained as it was his duty of being an enforcer.


    Gale barely stepped in a few times when a voice called after him.


    "Young master!" The group of witnesses came forward to surround him.


    "Young Master, may heaven praise you for your conduct," a crying father told him, bowing in absolute gratitude.


    "You master, for you my poor daughter can finally rest in peace," another one joined, sobbing, cupping Gale''s palms. "She has been avenged."


    All the others followed too, tearing up and bowing to deliver their gratitude.


    Gale cupped his fist and bowed in return. He found Shi Jun was in a simr situation, though the master crafter sent all the folks in his direction.


    ''I guess this is why I preferred adventuring work even with its awful baggage.''


    The wronged people finally have a closer, even though it came from the joined hand of a foreigner and the justice system.


    ***<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was afternoon when Gale came to Wang''s Inn. He felt bad leaving Vale at Stormhold alone, but someone needed to be there to keep watch. Still, he could return flying. It would take an hour, much faster than a carriage.


    Despite being a tiring task, it was still achievable and desirable. It just didn''t feel right, leaving his boy alone at home, although he told his neighbour, the Shens, to look after him.


    Honestly, he still had some tasks left to be done in the town, and some he promisedter on the visit, which wouldn''t let him return today.


    "Senior, you''re here."


    Gale found Wang Li and Xiaolin waiting for him in the inn''s hall with a handful of customers. Well, as much as the shock Gale gave them during their visit to the guild, they were bound to be waiting.


    It wasn''t every day that you learned that the odd foreigner that had been acting like amon uncle to your son was a master artisan and could create fate locks¡ªthe most demanding and expensive item in the world.


    Gale had promised Wang Li a fate lock of better quality than they found in the guild. As for Xiaolin, he had a better n for her.


    "Took you long enough," Wang Li said jokingly. "For a moment, I wondered whether you''re merely boosting your capability in the guild."


    "Whether it''s a boost or not, you''ll learn soon enough," Gale said.


    Wang Li snorted. "You still seemed to forget you owe me three cups of hot chocte for forgetting¨C"


    "I thought you''d already forgotten that." Gale cut her off immediately before she could finish. "Anyway, I''m here to fulfil all my promises."


    Wang turned to all the customers and called for a servant to work in her stead. "Let''s go to grandma''s," she said. "She needed to learn what she was spending her big monies on, after all."


    "Sure, but before that," ¡ªGale turned to Xiaolin¡ª "Linlin, I have bought the pure crystal for you."


    "Really?" Xiaolin''s spirit was elevated. "How much did it cost?"


    "A paltry sum to me, you should know," Gale told her with a meaningful look. "Anyway, there''s still a condition for me to let you have it, though."


    Both of the women looked at him, questionable, while Wang Li didn''t forget to nudge her shoulder on Xiaolins, though.


    "It''s nothing serious," Gale said, looking flustered for a change. "I haven''t done this before. How do I say this?"


    "Just got on it already. You''re making the poor girl blush too much."


    Gale sighed. "I would like to have you as my disciple."


    ___________________


    Monthly goal: Privilege count: 77/1000

 Chapter 59 057 First Disciple (2)

    ?"I want to have you as my disciple." These words buzzed Xiaolin''s mind, still all the way until they reached the open veranda. She wasn''t certain what to think of that.


    Xiaolin was happy in a sense, though her heart wasmenting. She knew she did nothing to deserve this. Perhaps it was merely the senior''s pity that he chose to take such a decision.


    Honestly, she didn''t want to think about it anymore, nor would she like to give an answer to the proposal. However, her mind couldn''t help but wonder what Senior Gale''s thoughts were when he decided to her as a disciple.


    To be fair, if she was in his ce, she wouldn''t want anyone useless like her to be her disciple.


    "Care to exin what made you decide to take Linlin as your disciple?" Wang Li asked. Her expression was softer than hers, though still hovering in the realm of uncertainty. She certainly hadn''t expected this. It seemed like the odd foreigner was full of surprises today.


    "Two things," Gale answered simply, counting his fingers. "The first was obviously her abnormal constitution. I have never seen anything like this. If the demerits of Linlin''s constitution are fixed, don''t you think it would be a wondrous sight?"


    Wang Li sneaked a nce in Xiaolin''s direction and came back to Gale. "You truly believe that," she muttered. "And what is the second reason?"


    "It was obviously her personality," Gale told them straight away. "The sheer willpower to continue on for years even after making no progress. Most people would be frustrated to no end and give up, but not Linlin. That''s something I admire, and it is by no means a negligible factor."


    Wang Li sighed, sping Xiaolin''s shoulder. "Well, as long as you make the decision in good faith, I''m fine with it, although you will need the girl to agree and grandma to consent."


    Wang Li left to call Grandma Yushen shortly, leaving the two of them in silence. Xiaolin remained close-mouthed. Her head bowed the whole time, unable to meet his eyes, unsure what kind of emotion would surge out.


    "I know the decision is abrupt," Gale said after a while. "But believe me when I say this, I didn''t want to take you as my disciple out of pity. . ."


    Xiaolin lifted her head to look at him, her eyes wavering. ''Stop it. Please. . ."


    ". . . If it were a pity, I would have just thrown you the resources and got on with it. I truly believe you have the potential to stand at the forefront of the world."


    ''Stop it. I can''t. . .please. . .'' Xiaolin''s eyes burst into tears as she bit her lips.


    Gale''s eyes grewplicated as he continued. "But if you don''t want to be my discipline, that''s fine, too. You just need to bring yourself before the eyes of others. It won''t surprise me even if I learn some grandmaster takes interest in you. You''re hearing me, right, Xiaolin? Xiao¨C"


    "Stop it," Xiaolin shouted, ramming her mortal fist into Gale''s chest. Her expression was all disoriented, torn up, shaking. "Stop it. Stop it. . . Stop it.


    Gale said nothing. He just let her punch him with her fist. It hurt her more than it did to him, benefiting from his golden body. To be fair, it didn''t hurt at all.


    "I don''t deserve this," she continued. There was no stopping of her tears. "I can''t. . . You don''t have to."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale stood there like a log and let her do as she pleased. He certainlycked the experience to say the right word in this type of situation. So he decided to keep his mouth shut, lest he say something he shouldn''t have.


    After several seconds, Wang Li came back along with Grandma Yushen. They found the frail girl resting on the chest of thenky foreigner, tears dripping down from her eyes. She was barely a step away from snotting on her Senior Gale.


    "I didn''t think I would see this," the old woman said meaningfully. Xiaolin''s head jerked up from Gale''s chest as she moved away to maintain distance immediately. "So what''s the matter? Why do you need this old woman to be nosy in the matter of youngsters?"


    "Grandma, it isn''t like that. . ." Xiaolin tried to exin, but honestly, she wasn''t in the state to do anything.


    Wang Li exined in her stead. As the matter of taking discipline came, the old woman''s eyes turned serious as she gazed at Gale sternly. It didn''t take an expert to detect she was sceptical about the incredulity of the situation.


    Although the old woman''s control of aura was nothing to scoff at, either. It gave nothing away other than what she intended to let out. Gale wondered how she hadn''t reached Gold in so many years.


    Gale coughed unwittingly. He could easily guess what this old woman was thinking. Probably something in the line of: What is this foreigner''s aplishment to ask this? Can he even give Xiaolin one straight useful piece of advice that could truly help her?


    "Is this all true?"


    Gale nodded. "Obviously, my understanding of orthodox spirit arts hasn''t reached the realm of a master. Yet. I''m not supposed to take discipline until I be one."


    Gale paused and wet his lips. He considered his next words very carefully. He couldn''t just say he found a loophole in the system, after all.


    "However, my artificing has achieved mastery."


    Well, he had to take a test to formally get the mantle of a master artisan, but he wasn''t just spouting nonsense. He could pass that test. Let''s just hope she doesn''t ask for the badge. All he had with him was the Adept ranked badge.


    "So you''ll teach Linlin artificing?"


    "If she had the knack for it, then obviously, though, my first job as her master will be to assess her constitution better and help her advance."


    "Are you confident that you can fix her problem?" the old woman asked. She wasn''t all stern and serious this time. Gale could detect a flicker of hope through her aura.


    "I''m not absolutely certain," Gale said truthfully, "but yes. I have found ways to deal with her demerits."

 Chapter 60 058 First Disciple (3)

    ?"Then what''s stopping you?" Wang Yushen asked.


    "Xiaolin," Gale answered. "I gave her time to consider. It''s a decision of a lifetime, I cannot let her decide without considering all elements."


    "True," the old woman agreed and turned to Xiaolin. "I reckon an entire night is enough time for you to decide, girl. Be prepared with an answer in the morning."


    Xiaolin could only nod. This old woman could be scary sometimes. She barely gave her a night to think of, though a night was plenty of time to decide.


    Still, Gale would''ve liked it if Xiaolin decided it on in her time, not pressured out of a time limit. He was after all new to this master-disciple business. He couldn''t pose like an all-knowing sage about spirit arts and give her the wrong idea.


    "If that''s understood, go on then," Grandma Wang continued. "I have something to discuss with the boy."


    Although Xiaolin would like to stay, she had a lot to think about. This proposal came as a surprise and hit her hard. So she abided by Grandma''s word and left, leaving an uncertain Wang Li who didn''t know whether she should depart or not.


    Grandma Wang gave her granddaughter a nce and didn''t say anything, so Wang Li remained there.


    "Don''t y with hope, young man," the old woman told him as she sat down.


    "I''m fairly serious about this grandma," Gale said. He sat across from her. Only Wang Li remained standing, she didn''t seem to be hasty in adopting a sitting position.


    "It''s good that you''re serious," Grandma Wang said with a sigh. "I have been a failure to do anything about her constitution. Although I tried, my reach wasn''t nearly enough to solve her issue. . . I want to know, how hopeful are you?"


    "I don''t know if Xiaolin had told you, but we did a little experiment where I introduced a spirit poison to her system and--"


    "You did what?" Both the women, young and old, shouted in unison.


    "She hadn''t told you?" Gale was puzzled.


    "Now I''m not so sure about consenting to your proposal so easily," Wang Yushen said briskly. "Tell me, boy, what did you do?"


    Gale sighed and exined what they found out about Xiaolin''s constitution. How spirit poison stopped affecting her as her body automatically emits it out.


    "Fascinating," was the only word she said after hearing everything.


    "As I mentioned earlier, her constitution wasn''t faulty, but now I know she needs to be under some special environment to progress on that. Although I don''t have a foolproof n, I have a couple of ways where I''m rather optimistic."


    "Well, it certainly doesn''t keep me at ease hearing all this," the old woman said. " But you can go on. Are you going to proceed with traditions of binding with soul oaths after Xiaolin agrees, or do you folks have a different tradition?"


    "Soul oaths?" Wang Li''s brows perked upwards. Of course, she knew about soul oaths, but she wasn''t certain if it was necessary to bind Linlin through some soul oaths so early.


    "It''s just about the same," Gale said. "When a master decides to take on someone as their direct disciple, the two of theme to terms with how their rtionship would be. So they took turns to take soul oaths as they put them at ease. I''m down to follow this."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wang Yushen nodded. She was satisfied with Gale''s attitude as he was ready to follow the tradition, unlike many masters who took disciples for various purposes and tried to avoid taking soul oaths as much as possible.


    Gale could understand why soul oaths could be something you''d like to avoid. It was a binding force that would be put on your soul forever unless the other party decides to set you free.


    Betraying a soul oath could cause terrible demerits to one''s soul oath to as much as crippling the practitioner. Low-level practitioners may even die from breaking soul oaths.


    They discussed what ways Gale would like to adopt in training Xiaolin. Honestly, Gale wasn''t good at teaching, nor he had the resources his Master used on him. Thankfully, Xiaolin was barely at the basics of spirit arts. It would take months for him to run out of stuff to teach her.


    After that, he could just kick her out like his master did to join some sect.


    "Now that got out of the way," Gale said. "We should talk about your granddaughter."


    "She mentioned you can provide her with better quality fate locks?" Wang Yushen asked, a bit incredulous. Her old eyes weren''t amodated to hear this type of statement at all.


    "Certainly," Gale said, turning towards Wang Li. "Although I have other options for her."


    "The artificial fate-locks I can make are mostly ofmon grade, though umon grades tend to spout out every now and then," Gale said. "These fate-locks will mostly have one feature above the nt element. I can tweak the feature to the specific direction you want, though broad customization isn''t possible. It could be like boosting the growth of some specific type of nt, or augmenting a specific vour.


    "The fate-lock will grow along with the user too, though it tends tog behindpared with the natural fate-lock in the gold rank. If you go the artificial route, I can provide assistance in the fusion for free as well as in the extraction process."


    Wang Li seemed to be ready to agree with this proposal. She had enough funds on her own to afford this.


    However, her grandmother had other ns. "What are the other options?"


    "I had a few of what you call original fate locks with me that would be far better inparison to the artificial ones," Gale said.


    Gale had about a hundred odd fate-locks inside his void-lock, most of them were spoils of wars that he didn''t have time to sell. Among them, two-thirds were artificial cores, while the rest were all natural ones of various attributes.


    "What kind of fate locks can you offer?


    "ording to Madam Wang''s requirements, I have only a few options that would satisfy her needs. Mostly different kinds of healing types, but I have this Unique one with dual attributes of life and nt that could boost almost all organic elements."


    ____________


    Monthly privilege goal: 115/1000.


    It''s rising steadily, thank you folks for buying the privilege.

 Chapter 61 059 First Disciple (4)

    ?"Tell me more about the unique one," Wang Yushen asked, narrowing her eyes.


    "Sure." Gale brought a translucent white scarf-sized cloth out of his void lock. With one look at it, anyone could tell it was unnatural and something intriguing. How much intriguing, they couldn''t be sure just from the look of it.


    "Is that a fate lock?" Wang Li asked, her expression incredulous. It was her first time seeing clothes as fate locks.


    "Yes," Gale said, "though fate lockse in different shapes and sizes, we don''t really see the type of these very much. Anyway, allow me to iterate its specification from the beginning.


    "It''s called Auoana''s Garb; life and nt attributed and needs a simple ritual to fuse. It cannot boost the practitioner''s growth speed normally, but it can speed up the Qi regeneration speed to a tremendous degree in a high-spirited environment. But its most important feature was how easily it can boost the quality of nt life or most kinds of organic matter, which includes alcohol, drinks, potion, pills, elixirs, or even simple food.


    "The previous owner of this fate-lock could be a master alchemist using this and other fate-locks of a simr measure. You can simply change the state of the inn with its help. Although it will still be far from being a top inn in a short time, it can change that in the decades toe."


    "This seems more amazing than the Greenbringer we saw in the guild," Wang Li couldn''t help but say. "Does it have any drawbacks?"


    "All fate-locks have some drawbacks and constraints," Gale continued. "This one in particr conflicts with me, Ice, Darkness, Death, or simr kind of elements. Also, the practitioner needs to wear it in their person throughout the day to use it. It might have other smaller constraints, but my inspection couldn''t detect anything."


    "This all sounds impressive," Grandma Wang said. "I reckoned the price of such an item would be impressive, too."


    "As far as I''m concerned, it''s more valuable than the fate-lock you have seen in the guild, although you should ask anyone of the guild to work as the mediator in recognising its value in spirit coins."


    "Still, you should have a number in mind," Grandma Wang asked.


    "Thirty thousand gold coins, open to negotiation," Gale said simply, earning a gulp from Wang Li.


    Grandma Yushen considered it for a moment. "Will you ept instalment payments?"


    "Grandma, you can''t be serious," Wang Li cut in. "This is seriously--"


    "A steal," the old woman said, "if all he said about its feature is true." She turned to Gale. "Will you let me examine the item?"


    "Sure." Gale gave her the thin clothes as the old woman started her inspection, drawing Qi into the item. She was definitely not a scriber to figure out the feature just through an inspection, but she could detect theplicated scripts inside them as well as the rich life and nt energy.


    "This doesn''t lose out to the other one I have," the old woman muttered.


    "I''m done." She returned the cloth. "We''ll give you an answer in the morning, but allow this old woman to be a little nosy. You clearly know how valuable this fate lock is. How did you get it, and why haven''t you to fuse with it if you''re done with the martial world? This one seems like the perfect match for anyone who isn''t a fighter."


    "This one will not fit well with my other fate-locks, to be honest," Gale said truthfully, "although I bore thoughts of fusing with it in the past. Besides, it''s unlike the extractable fate locks. I didn''t like to take chances with it. As for the matter of getting this item, it was simply a spoil of war."


    ***


    The foreigner departed after exining and showing a few more fate locks, though none of them was as good as Auoana''s Garb. Still, it gave the old woman perspective to think on what level the foreigner deals with.


    "A Master is a Master, after all," she mumbled and found her granddaughter waiting for her to exin all this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Grandma, are you seriously thinking of acquiring that item?"


    Wang Yushen simply nodded.


    "Grandma, you can''t," Wang Li said immediately. "I can''t be a burden on you. Not to mention, the fate lock would be wasted on me. I seriously can''t . . ."


    "Silly girl," Wang Yushen said, holding a mild disappointment in her granddaughter. "Did your brain shut down after you heard the price?"


    "What do you mean, grandma?"


    "Tell me, what''s the most valuable thing in the world?"


    "Fate locks?" It didn''t take her a moment to answer.


    "Right," Wang Yushen nodded. "And do you know what makes Fate locks so valuable?"


    "Because they give a way to cultivate spirit art," Wang Li said, uncertain why Grandma was asking such a basic question. There was probably a lesson at the end. She couldn''t wait to get there.


    "And does the fate-lock cease to exist after that?"


    "No."


    "Tell me, can a fate lock be destroyed?"


    "Not by any normal means, as far as I''m aware."


    Wang Yushen held an expression that said: There you have it, do I need to exin more?


    "So you''re asking me why I''m willing to spend a tremendous sum to buy an almost indestructible item which can give a path to our family from generation to generation?"


    Wang Li bit her lips. ''As always, Grandma''s thoughts run deep. She always thinks of her family ahead of herself.'' Still, she wasn''t certain if it was the right move. Such wealth was almost a third of everything grandma owned.


    "How much can we liquid out on short notice?" Grandma Wang asked.


    "I can''t give you the exact number," Wang Li said, calcting in her head. "About ten thousand gold marks, at best."


    "I still owe a few thousand more to some people," Grandma Yushen said. "That''s still half the price . . . Come to my roomter with all the ounting. We''ll decide then."


    _________


    Another chapter in a few hours.

 Chapter 62 060 First Disciple (5)

    ?"Grandma," Wang Li asked, "how sure are you about letting Xiaolin be Mister Gale''s apprentice?"


    "It''s not about me letting her," Grandma Wang said with a sigh. "I''m only there to shelter her from any fraud, but in the end, the final decision is hers to make."


    What her grandma meant was that she was ying the role of a guardian, and she deferred that Gale was genuine about what he meant.


    "Still, considering soul oaths are involved. . . Is it absolutely necessary to take a soul oath?"


    "Silly girl, it isn''t like your neighbourhood teacher giving free teaching in spirit arts," Grandma Wang exined. "You don''t know what makes one a Master, do you? Just epting a disciple doesn''t make one a master. If that were true, I would be a master a hundred times over."


    "Is it a rank?"


    Grandma nodded. "Not like Copper, Iron, Silver, though," she said. "It''s more like a prestigious position that only a few can achieve in their lifetime. In ancient times, one absolutely needed to be a master to ept someone as their direct disciple, but currently, that rule had pruned out along with the lesser number of masters. Master is the first prestigious position that entails one is ready to teach someone else."


    Wang Li nodded in understanding. "It sounds like a great opportunity now that you are saying that."


    "It is," the old woman said. "Allow me to exin further so that you understand how big of an opportunity this is for Linlin.


    "Nobody below gold can ever be a Master in orthodox spirit arts. Even those who be masters at gold are ingenious freaks. Not even one in a thousand make up to a Master at Gold. It''s not just about talent, but it''s almost spiritually impossible to be one. That''s why most masters are mostly Jade-heart experts.


    "Although it is a bit easier to be a Master in auxiliary spirit arts like crafting, alchemy, and scripting, it was still Xiaolin''s great fortune to be noticed by one."


    "Grandma, what makes one a master?"


    "I''m not so certain. There are a few prerequisites like touching thews of the universe and more. As for the adjacent paths, one needs to create something unique to adopt the mantle of a Master."


    Wang Li understood barely, though many things were still vague to her. The way Grandma talked, it seemed she wasn''t entirely sure about that as well.


    Such are the mysteries of spirit arts, people of power protect their secrets ingeniously.


    Still, she was happy for Xiaolin. At least, Xiaolin wouldn''t have to worry about resources anymore if she agrees, Gale being a Master artisan.


    "The boy is a good apple," Grandma said as an afterthought. "Honestly, it is too hard to find people like him in the martial world. I hope he really could do something with Xiaolin''s talent."


    Wang Li was about to depart when Grandma asked again. "How is it going with Gu Dong?"


    Wang Li bit her lips. "We don''t talk that much these days."


    Grandma nodded with her thoughts as Wang Li departed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As Grandma asked her, Wang Li proceeded to open all the books of ounts after that. She calcted whatever source of finance their family-owned, save for those devised by the main house, which shifted to Azure park before she was born. They still have most of thends they owned in Wayshire.


    The exact amount was three hundred and sixty-five acres of farnd, which profited them somewhere between one and two thousand gold marks each season.


    The profit would have been a lot higher if they cultivate thend on their own, however, with everyone busy with their own thing and grandma getting old, they could only leave it in other''s care and get a share of the profit every season, although most of the share was sent to the other house.


    The Inn produces littlepared to them, although, during the times of festival, it bes hectic.


    ounting for all sources of ie didn''t take her much time. She was done in half an hour, though that didn''t relieve her. Much of it was because they needed to amass arge sum to buy the fate lock that would put them in financial peril if they cashed in things they owned.


    Grandma''s argument about owning a good fate lock did make sense, but it wasn''t a good deal when they had to go through a financial problem to get the item.


    As far as she was concerned, to purchase the fate lock, they had to at least make half of the price as a down payment¡ªas it was how things went in the world. That amount might not put their finances in jeopardy, but it surely would be a risk. Not to mention the festival wasing.


    Moreover, Wang Li was in the middle of this. She would inherit the fate lock first, and it would stay with her until she dies. If she fails to grasp its power, then it would truly be hard for her and the family.


    As Wang Li lost herself in musing, the door of her room opened. Xiaolin came in with an uncertain expression on her face.


    "Elder sister," the frail-looking girl called.


    "Yes," Wang Li answered and sorted out all the stacks of paperid before her. "What happened? Are you still considering Senior Gale''s proposal?"


    Xiaolin nodded. "I simply cannot understand," she said, sitting next to her. "Why me? I''m nothing special. Useless, even."


    "Is that all in your mind?"


    Xiaolin bit her lips.


    "Have you thought about what he said?" Wang Li asked. "Gale seemed genuinely intrigued with your talent, yet you still held onto your past. Just think about what you can do if your constitution was like any normal persons. If your Senior Gale can achieve that feat, would your past still matter?"


    "I don''t know," Xiaolin said. "What if I fail? What if I disappoint him and everyone else?"


    "You won''t know if you don''t try."


    __________________

 Chapter 63 061 First Disciple (6)

    ?Wang Li finally understood where Linlin''s anxieties wereing from. She examined Xiaolin''s expression carefully. It seemed Gale held a prominent ce in Xiaolin''s heart, and perhaps she was right to hold him in such high regard. After all, everyone failed to recognise the foreigner''s depth.


    Wang Li wasn''t even sure now. The way the man presented himself, there was absolutely no way for anyone of her caliber to detect anything. Xiaolin has always been unique in this regard.


    She tended to get some kind of smell out of people sometimes. Although highly unreliable at times, she does have a knack for making good guesses.


    "Anyway, if you''re worried about other things," Wang Li continued with a knowing look, "I''ll let you know it''s prettymon for master and disciple to be a couple."


    "Elder sister!"


    "I''m merely stating the fact," Wang Li said with augh. "What do you think happens when two one-minded practitioners stay under the same roof for years? It''s true, you have read all of Lord Heartme''s adventures. You know I''m telling the truth."


    "Senior Gale, he isn''t like that," Xiaolin said rebelliously.


    "I''m sure he isn''t," Wang Li agreed and nudged Xiaolin on the shoulder. "But I wonder how long he could resist this little beauty here."


    She started grappling with the thin girl. Well, it was only Wang Li who pressed Xiaolin from behind while the younger girl tried to resist.


    "Have some confidence, will you?" Wang Li advised. "You''re fine with what you have, but some meat here will truly be irresistible."


    Xiaolin blushed and shrugged off the palms that were groping her budding breasts.


    Wang Li smiled and hugged the girl. "You liked him, didn''t you?"


    "I. . ." Xiaolin stuttered in her grasp. "I don''t know."


    "Girl, you don''t seem to know a lot of things," Wang Li joked. "But Linlin, truly, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Don''t think about anything else, think only about yourself. Work for what you want in your life. Your life can either be like an inn wench married to an unfaithful husband or someone who excels at spirit arts. I know you can do it. I''ve seen nobody as diligent as you."


    ''Nobody except my sister,'' she added inwardly.


    "Elder sister," Xiaolin bit her lips and clutched Wang Li''s palm.


    "Don''t be like me, girl," Wang Li said in a pained voice. "Hold on to every little advantage and opportunity you can."


    ***


    Grandma Wang excused all the kids from the morning cycling session and went to fetch Xiaolin. While Gale waited in a meditative pose as the sun peeked through the mountains.


    He wasn''t alone on the veranda, though. Wang Li meditated on her own a few paces away.


    Gale was waiting for three people. Grandma Wang and Xiaolin were preparing, and thest person was Guo Zong, whom he asked to deliver various ingredients that he would need to draw the defensive scripts of his mansion.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Well, the manager wouldn''t being when the sun barely rose. Thus, Gale meditated. He had been cking for months now and still hadn''t managed to get the knack back. It wouldn''t be resolved until he settled fully, he assumed.


    Gale deliberately refrained from entering deep meditation, as the other two woulde soon with their answers.


    A few minutester, Xiaolin came in tow with Grandma Wang. Linlin looked pretty like always, albeit fresh after bathing. Her eyes were clear like stream water, full of resolve, as wet hair tangled on her back as a ceremonial white robe hugged her body clumsily. The ceremonial robe already indicated what her answer would be to his proposal.


    Grandma Wang seemed to have already exined the tradition to her as Xiaolin followed,ing before him at a slow pace. She didn''t meet his gaze and bowed her head.


    "Please be seated," Gale said as they sat face to face with each other, maintaining a respectful distance of a couple of yards.


    Grandma presided over the ceremony saying a few words like how sacred the rtionship between a master and their disciple was. She wasn''t a fan of wasting time, so they proceeded to the main event pretty quickly.


    "Now both parties will exchange vows," Grandma Wang said. "Ni Xiaolin as the bing of a disciple, you''ll begin with the vow."


    Xiaolin nodded. "Senior," she said, following the tradition. "I''ll work diligently and defer to your teaching wholeheartedly. Is there something you require of your disciple to follow?"


    ''Stop it, girl, you''re making me blush,'' Gale mused. ''I would be Sensei Gale in a minute now.''


    That was the formal way, the would-be apprentice asking the Master to what they need to follow to be their disciple. Obviously, Gale wasn''t at the higher end of this ritual ever before. He got flustered easily.


    Gale fought to keep his expression steady and drew in a deep breath. "I want my disciple to never harm innocent people deliberately and always strive to be a better person." Gale paused. Thest part was way more difficult than it appeared, thus he added: "But you''re fine as well, the way you are now."


    Xiaolin nodded, her body shivering at the apprehension. She took a deep breath and exhaled and proceeded with the vow.


    "I, Ni Xiaolin, take a vow to never betray my master''s wishes and study diligently under him." Xiaolin shivered as though the vow.


    ''She altered the words a little, but I guess this works.''


    In the end, Soul Oaths were merely a binding force that worked with the practitioner''s interpretation. The higher Xiaolin''s faith in him, the more powerful the oath would be in time.


    Anyway, it was his turn now. "I, Gale Joseph Paul Carpenter, take a vow of fulfilling my duties as the master to the best of my abilities."


    It didn''t take a second for the soul oath to press on his spirit. Gale shivered and found Xiaolin was the same.


    ''She felt that,'' Gale mused.


    He really made the correct decision to take her as a disciple. Xiaolin was unusual. No normal mortal could detect the usualness in their soul, even unconsciously. Their mind was too dull to even detect the existence of a soul. How could they detect anything amiss?


    However, Xiaolin was different.

 Chapter 64 062 Lesson (1)

    ?Now that Gale had a disciple, he needed to devise a training regime for her. Considering Xiaolin was still in the initial step, and her constitution was peculiar, he formed two sides of training.


    The first was training the physique. Since she always ignored that part, it would be better to start from the beginning. Thus, Gale wrote down what she needed to do every day and handed it to her, along with a couple of scrolls of detailed fundamental stances and defence arts.


    Gale could''ve shown all the stances to make it easier, but easy wasn''t always better. He needed to assess her talent first.


    Xiaolin read the paper first, as an arch appeared on her brows. She thought it would be difficult being Gale''s apprentice, but the writings suggested she was mistaken for believing that. Xiaolin could do double of whatever was written on the papers.


    "These were only the introductions," Gale told her, finding her with an incredulous expression. "You might find them too easy. But remember, you''re not supposed to train to the hardest from the beginning, girl.


    "Although there are values in doing your hardest all the time, it has many detriments. For starters, all your muscles would get sore, and you won''t be able to practise for the next two days. That''s two days'' loss of training. While in the long term, it can break your body and cripple your potential.


    "To a practitioner, their body is a treasure trove, so instead of short-term benefit, do only half of your best in the beginning. You''ll see the benefit within a week. Your best will increase and so will your stamina. You''ll be able to do more with half of your best as you train."


    Xiaolin nodded in understanding. She had only been practising physical arts in thest few days, and it had burdened had body terribly after she exhausted herself in the practice.


    "I''ll repeat, never exhaust yourself in training. You''ll only burden your body and mind."


    "Senior, I mean, Master," Xiaolin asked, "what about these scrolls?"


    "I already told you, call me Sensei," Gale said sternly. "Shifu would do it. Anyway, the scrolls contain basic stances and defence arts. You have no foundation in any other physical arts, so it shouldn''t take you long to grasp them. But to master them, you''d need to spend a lot more. Try to find some sparring partners, if you can. I guess Madam Wang can help you there, though different types of opponents would be advisable."


    "Yes, I got it covered," Wang Li said from the background, where she discussed some other topic with Grandma Wang.


    "As for the spirit arts, focus on meditation for now. You have touched deep meditation, yes?"


    Xiaolin nodded.


    "Remember, you barely touched it," Gale said, "there are steps above that. Focus on it for now."


    Gale thought for a moment on the matter of pure crystal. Honestly, it wasn''t time for her to use it. Although pure crystals could boost one''s cycling speed to a few folds, it was an excruciating process.


    First Xiaolin would need to refine her posture and train her physical form to get anything out of it. Even if her constitution could handle it now, she would be exhausted in two minutes.


    Xiaolin would still be staying in the inn for some time, as Gale''s mansion was far from ready. Although she could stay in the old house, he decided it would still be better for her to stay here for a time and train with others. Gale could check on her every now and then, so it won''t be a problem.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''ll allocate resources ording to your training," Gale said, ying the role of a stern master. "Don''t get frustrated. Work hard."


    "Yes, Master."


    "It''s Sensei," Gale told her and dismissed her.


    Now all that was left was the other matter. Guo Zong came quite early in the morning with two carts full of stuff.


    "These aren''t everything," the manager told him. "We don''t have some ingredients like the five elemental essences, most gold-ranked enchanting ingredients or enough fire wind, water elemental cores. But you can rest assured, we''ll be getting a batch of the said items next week."


    It wasn''t some ingredients they were missing, but the most important of them. They were the most expensive ones, too.


    "I guess that would do," Gale said. He inspected all the items delivered to him quickly. It didn''t take long, inspecting with his aura inspection. "How much does all of this cost?"


    Guo Zong brought out a bill from his robes and handed it to Gale. "Twelve hundred forty-seven gold marks. As a valued customer of our guild, you can pay in the round figure of twelve hundred gold marks only."


    Gale nodded, confirming they weren''t ripping him off, as the estimated price he came up with was quite close to that number. Gale brought out a bag full of spirit coins and handed it to the manager.


    "Two thousand gold marks are on this," he said. "Keep the change for the rest of the items you''ll be delivering next week."


    "Thank you, Master Gale."


    "You''re most wee, and also, don''t publicise the fact that I''m an artisan. I would like to keep my peace for as long as I can."


    "You can be rest assured Master Gale," Guo Zong said with an exaggerated gesture of sealing his mouth. "My lips are sealed."


    "Good, in this way, we can keep on doing business like this in the future," Gale told him, which delighted the middle-aged manager, who wasn''t shy to show.


    Well, as far as Gale was concerned, Guo Zong would probably get a good portion of the profit of every business that came through him. As Gale was one of the very few Gold and silver marks expenders, his earnings would peakpared with all the years he was with the guild.


    "Now that got out of the way," Gale said, gesturing to the manager at the inn. "I''ll need your help with your assessment of an item."

 Chapter 65 063 Lesson (2)

    ?Guo Zong wasn''t that great at scripting. Even with thirty years of experience, he still was an apprentice, although close to breaking into an actual Scriber at some point in his career.


    However, these days guild work took most of his time these days. His master handed him everything and went into seclusion in order to break through to Master artisan.


    His life in Wayshire had been peaceful and boring. Guo Zong couldn''t wait to return to the capital if someone capable enoughes to their branch. Even if he would barely have a little prestige anywhere save for these backwater branches, he always likes to stay amidst events.


    Wayshire couldn''t provide him with that, or any opportunity.


    However, new variables came into the equation when two foreigners came to the town without notice.


    Guo Zong didn''t understand their purpose, but he could glimpse their talent from afar. One was a peerless youth whose talent in spirit art could make anyone envious. Guo Zongter learned the youth was a descendant of the great Sun n from reports sent off from the capital.


    While the other one was a hawkish man who sometimes has an expression that entailed he would murder anyone if they annoyed him. That was mostly when that foreigner was annoyed.


    He looked annoyed a lot of the time.


    At first, Guo Zong was sure, the southerner couldn''tpare with the scion of Sun n. But nowadays, he wasn''t sure anymore.


    Anyway, Guo Zong always tries to keep his distance from this type of person. No goodes getting in contact with a murderhobo, after all. Thus, he acted to never be on the wrong side of that foreigner.


    However, the foreigner was more amiable than he appeared in reality. Without the beard, he appeared less of the brute type, although his figure was still intimidating enough. Guo Zong still couldn''t get around the fact that this man was an artisan. A master artisan at that.


    Guo Zong had handled all the foreigner''s work and slowly learned the odd foreigner had more depth than his aura control could figure out. The first was the artificial fate lock core. Guo Zong had never seen that model. He examined it before sending it to the other branches.


    Weirdly, his conclusion and the master artisans were about the same. The fate lock core was a waste of time for the master artisan who created it. Although he reckoned there was some other meaning behind such practice.


    Anyway, Guo Zong wasn''t sure that the foreigner was the one who created the core, butter he got an offhanded admittance from the foreigner, which crashed his world.


    His master, who was well over two hundred years old, hadn''t yet managed to break into the realm of Master artisans, yet this youth who looked in his early twenties was a master artisan.


    There was something wrong with this world.


    Later, Guo Zong asked for records on this certain foreigner from other branches, only to be dumbfounded getting almost nothing. All he learned was that the foreigner appeared in various parts of Tianhui, until he specifically chose Wayshire to be his ce of action.


    What''s even in Wayshire? The Han family shifted here from the capital a few years ago, although that could be a mere coincidence. Not to mention, they were forced to shift here.


    Guo Zong was at his wit''s end for a few days, trying toe up with a valid reason for individuals of such caliber to take an interest in this urban town.


    But in the end, he could only see the proceeding yed out. He refrained from making any moves even when many opportunities came. And that seemed to be the right direction.


    Why offend a Master artisan? There was certainly a higher individual behind the foreigner, or how could he have cultivated this realm this early? Instead, he should hope for building a good rtionship between them and try to find a way to bring the Master artisan to their organisation.


    Even if their organisation had many masters and even a few grandmasters, they were always shorthand in production. At the rate the influence of artificial fate locks was growing, and it wouldn''t stop until the market came to saturation. That would take decades, and even then the influence of artificial fate locks wouldn''t be lost.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In all that time, the market would surely be chaotic. However, chaotic times was the best time for business as well. All they had to do was stay out of troubled water and do what they do best.


    Amass wealth.


    Although nothing went amiss yet, Guo Zong was aware it didn''t take much for conflict to go out of proportion in the martial world. There was already a growing conflict between the governing body and the foreigner.


    All he could hope was that it wouldn''t blow out of proportion on short notice.


    "So manager, what''s your appraisal on the fate-lock?" Wang Yushen asked, narrowing her eyes at him.


    Guo Zong didn''t answer and kept his attention on his appraisal of the translucent cloth.


    "It is a unique fate-lock," he concluded, eventually. "An extremely rare kind. Although nt and Life attributes are closely rted, the function this one has is perfect for anyone who strives to be an alchemist. I''m not absolutely certain, but I think this can be used to remediate many alchemic toxicities.


    "As for the other function, it was exactly what your granddaughter was looking for the other day in our guild. . . ."


    Grandma Wang nodded. "What do you think of its price?"


    Guo Zong sneaked a nce at Gale, who was the owner of the fate-lock cloth. He cleared his throat to add.


    "As you know, dual attribute fate-lock is pretty rare, ignoring all its features just with that dual attribute, it would be priced at ten thousand gold marks in our guild," he said. "However, with the features of boosting any organicponents, the price can hike to three times easily."


    "So thirty thousand; that''s your assessment?"


    "At thirty thousand, it''s a steal," Guo Zong said. "If it''s auctioned at some big auction house, I can see it reaching sixty thousand or more."


    "That seemed a bit overboard," Wang Li said with some uncertainty.


    "Not at all, young madam," Guo Zong said. "With this fate-lock and some hard work a silver ranker can earn a couple of thousand gold marks every year just by making wine. And you can do a lot more with this? Culturing herbs and organisms, alchemic potions and pills, it can do all. You know how high all their values are, don''t you?"


    Wang Li certainly didn''t have a good estimate of what the fate lock could do to make assumption of the profit. However, Elder Wang was more experienced. She would know better how amazing this chance was.


    "If Master Gale is ready to sell it to us instead," Guo Zong added, "we''re ready to pay forty thousand this very day."


    Guo Zong nced towards Gale for any reaction. The foreigner was impassive the whole time.


    Forty thousand Gold marks didn''t appear to be a big amount to him. Still, as far as Guo Zong was concerned, it would take a master artisan a few months to earn forty thousand gold marks.


    ''Why does it feel like its nothing to him?''

 Chapter 66 064 Lesson (3)

    ?Gale already knew the Wangs wouldn''t be able to afford the fate lock on short notice. And even if they had the thoughts of purchasing the item, all they could hope to do was to pay in instalments.


    Well, Gale wasn''t short on money, and he wouldn''t care if they pay it at once or in instalments. He literally didn''t have a count of how much he had with him. A sixth of his void lock was a good estimate. And that was only the spirit coins. He had various other valuable items.


    Anyway, he would lose nothing on this deal. Today or tomorrow, they would pay him back. The best thing about this oue was that it would make him feel good, helping good people.


    Grandma Wang seemed to want this fate-lock for her granddaughter, but the granddaughter wasn''t so sure after the price got higher.


    Honestly, the price of fate locks was never stable and could go both ways depending on people''s needs. There weren''t even any associations to control the prices of these items.


    "Your initial price of thirty thousand," Grandma Wang said eventually. "Does the offer still stand?"


    "Sure," Gale answered, gaining a yelp from the guild manager. He ignored Guo Zong and continued. "I''m still open to negotiating on the terms you''d like to purchase the item."


    "We cane up with twelve thousand as a down payment," Grandma Wang said after a thought. "The rest of the amount will take three years at the least."


    "That seems reasonable."


    Grandma narrowed her eyes. "Are you certain about this? You''d be losing out on itpared with what the guild can offer."


    "You folks are like family to Linlin," Gale said. "I can handle the loss of a few thousand coins for my disciple''s family."


    Grandma Wang nodded. "Since you put it like this," she said, "it''ll look bad on Xiaolin if we take advantage of her master. We''re going to do it like this. We''ll pay twelve thousand as a down payment and pay the rest of the money in the next three years. On top of that, you''ll get a third of whatever profites from the fate-lock for the next fifteen years."


    Gale raised an eyebrow. It seemed the old woman had already had this in her mind from the start, just waiting for a moment to bring it up. Honestly, the advantage of this deal leaned mostly toward the seller. They were ready to pay the total sum in three years, which was already enough and Gale was fine with it.


    However, Grandma Wang insisted they should pay one-third of the profit thates from the fate lock for the next fifteen years. Fifteen years was a long time. With some guidance and resources, Wang Li could advance to Silver in three or four years, and then with the use of the fate-lock, she could easily bring a profit of a few thousand gold marks a year easily.


    So in the long run, they would pay more than double the cost if everything went well.


    It was a win-win situation for both parties. Gale wasn''t that aware of the financial situation of the Wangs. He thought they would probably need half a decade at the very least to make the purchase without risking their wellbeing.


    Now that he thought of it, the old woman had lived over a hundred years, she probably invested her wealth in the right ce.


    "Say something, boy," Grandma Wang said. "Are you fine with this arrangement?"


    "I''m fine with it," Gale said, "although I would like to have another condition instead of getting a third of the profit for the next fifteen years."


    "Do you have something in mind?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I nned on cultivating cocoa next year. It was a superior cocoa, and needed a specialised cultivator to take care of them, to be honest."


    "Cocoa in Wayshire?" The woman narrowed her eyes. "You''re aware the environment here wasn''t suited for growing cocoa?"


    "I have ways to solve that," Gale said. "Anyway, my proposal is that for Madam Wang to help in the cultivation of the trees in their growth period. . . ."


    They discussed it for a few minutes longer. Wang Li deferred that she was fine with taking care of cocoa trees. And they finally came to a deal.


    Instead of one-third, they would pay one-fifth for the next fifteen years, along with all the help Wang Li would provide in cultivating cocoa. Honestly, Gale didn''t want a portion of the profit. Cultivating spirit cocoa could be quite taxing to one''s spirit, but still, Grandma insisted upon it.


    It was more about pride than profit on the old woman''s part, to be honest. Gale decided it wasn''t something he should try to hurt.


    Anyway, the deal was settled. They would just need another day to prepare the papers andplete the deal.


    ***


    Wang Li wasn''t sure why the foreigner waited for her even after he settled a deal with Grandma.  He came before her with a thoughtful look.


    Mister Gale seemed more serious than usual as he deliberated over how to speak to her.


    "I came to apologise," he told her with a sigh.


    "Apologise?" Wang Li perked her eyebrows. "For what?"


    "The other night," Gale said with some awkwardness. "I advised you to try harder with no consideration. I don''t know if it had anything to do with how my parents separated, butter I found out it wasn''t sound advice to give."


    Wang Li just stared at him,pletely lost about what to say.


    "Honestly, I don''t know what to say," Gale told her. "I''m not really someone experienced enough to give advice on this subject. All I want is to make sure my advice doesn''t hurt youter.


    "You''re doing fine."


    Atst, he brought out a packet and handed it to her.


    "These are the choctes I owed," he said. "I won''t be here to make them, so I''m delivering them to you. Consume them with caution. I have a written note about what would be preferable for everyone''s rank."

 Chapter 67 065 Lesson (4)

    ?Gale hoped to return to Stormhold straight after he was done with all the proceedings. He was doing exactly that, however, it seemed he would have to dy it for a few minutes as he found a few people waiting around his carriage, probably intending to make trouble.


    An annoyed expression appeared on Gale''s face as he approached them. He got to finish this quickly, as his hand was full with other tasks.


    "Well, well, look what we have here?" said the leader of the group, a handsome youth that seemed faintly familiar to Gale. "Isn''t that the foreigner who''s full of himself?"


    Gale raised an eyebrow. "Who are you again?" he asked,pletely disregarding the youth. He shoved another person to make his way towards the carriage. "You know what? It doesn''t matter. Just get out of my way."


    As Gale had imagined, none of the group left. Instead, they surrounded him, ring their Iron Qi, announcing their rank and capabilities. This could''ve impressed most people of Wayshire, but to Gale not so much.


    These lots were probably the best in town, but anywhere else, they were second rate at best. Gale had seen and trashed plenty of the likes of these.


    Gale''s eyes drifted to everyone in their position, contemting what their actions would be if the conflict rose to a scuffle. It certainly wouldn''te to a bloody struggle, the town being peaceful as it was.


    "Bah," said the youth again. It could only be the prodigious Young Master Han, whom Gale recognised, but disregardedpletely. To Gale, the existence of this guy couldn''t be higher than an insect. After all, some insects tend to be useful.


    "You guys are scaring the foreigner," Han Xiao continued. "Come on, stop with that intimidation. We''re folks of Wayshire, we''re civil. Let''s wee the foreigner in the style of Wayshire."


    "Yes, Young Master Xiao," one counterpart who''s impatient to bootlick, said with augh. "You''re absolutely right. Let''s go celebrate, outsider."


    He was about to p Gale on the shoulder, much harder than what could be called an affectionate gesture, however, Gale caught the palm before it couldnd and shrugged it off.


    "Don''t act like you''re familiar with me," Gale said, his eyes growing colder.


    Before Gale could continue, another one tried to grapple him from behind. Gale lurched up to shove his knee into the midsection of the youth and left him squirming on the ground.


    "Bastard!"


    All the surrounding youths narrowed their eyes. But Gale gave all of them a cold stare and returned to the leader of the group.


    "I remember you now," he said, cranking his head left and right. "Do you remember what I said back then?"


    Gale''s body moved in a blink of an eye as he appeared next to Han Xiao, one arm around the young master''s shoulder.


    "I told you, you''re nothing without your family," Gale whispered into his ears. He looked around at all the other guys, who had an uncertain expression on their faces. "You remember that, don''t you? That''s why you bought these worthless scums owned by your family with you."


    "So what about it?" Young Master Han tried to shrug Gale''s clutch off his shoulder, but failed until Gale let him. "My family is a part of my strength. You''re simply jealous because you don''t have one. Worthless foreigner."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Truly wise words," Gale said. "Family is a part of strength, but for you, it is not so. For you, family is the only part of your strength."


    "Outsider, how dare you make trouble in our town? Today, I''ll teach you a lesson for all the likes of you to understand what it means to make trouble in our town.


    Gale threw a look that said he had it with this argument. "I see no point in arguing with the likes of you. Scram or I''ll make you do it, but mind you, it would be excruciatingly painful."


    "You!" Han Xiao burst into a spree of anger. "You worthless brute, I''ll show you today. Because of you, I have to spend a full night in lock-up. I won''t let you stay in my town in peace. I''ll make your life miserable. I''ll destroy you. I''ll destroy everything you owned, and I''ll¨C"


    "--learn to intimidate people better," Galepleted his sentence with an exaggerated burp. Someday, all of this used to be fun, but now all of it was just an annoyance and waste of time.


    ? Anyway, Gale was certain there was a need for this confrontation. It was good that the worthless young master presented himself before him. Although he would want to let his disciple triumph over this worthless young master, he wouldn''t mind giving a lesson.


    It would at the very least be better than what his parents provided him with.


    "If we''re going to do this," Gale said. "Let''s do it quick. I don''t have time to waste on worthless fools."


    One from his right and another from his back lunged at Gale, Qi coursing through their iron bodies, enhancing their resilience and strength. Gale released Stormsong for a moment and with the wind powershed at the one that came from the back.


    The iron ranker flung dozens of metres away to crash against the side of a building. At that time, the other one from the right was about to ram his fist in his face. Gale skidded to the sides to dodge and locked his right arm with the counterpart''s arms.


    Exerting a little force, Gale hauled him up and plunged him into the ground, breaking his back. The iron ranker screamed in agony, breaking the immersive drunkenness of strength of the group.


    "What the hell are you doing?" Han Xiao screamed. "Go after him, make him regret--"


    Before the young master could finish, Gale flew at him, making him flinch. Thankfully, two counterparts came in time to rescue him. They engaged Gale instantly, although their fate was already sealed with they decided to confront Gale.


    Between them, there was no contest.


    _________________


    Monthly Privilege Goal: 234/1000


    Praise to all who bought the privilege and helped the book in growth.

 Chapter 68 066 Lesson (5)

    ?From whatever point Gale looked at the conflict from the outside, it appeared like he was bullying his juniors. Well, he would prefer the term teaching a lesson instead of bullying. After all, juniors needed to be taught every now and then, especially juniors of this kind.


    The two iron rankers charged at him,manding their martial skill, as colourful Qi spurred the air. Gale gave it half a nce and red his non-attributed Qi to break them apart even before they coulde to the point of being any bit threatening.


    The two blokes had no clue what happened, but they still charged at him with bold stupidity. Gale thrashed the one on the right, using ash of wind Qi against the ground to lurch in his direction. Gale knocked him out too easily and proceeded to do the same to the other one, who was already joined by thest two.


    Only Young Master Han stood alone,pletely stupefied. It wasn''t supposed to go like this. He was supposed to capture the outsider and teach him a lesson that he would never forget. It was all because of his useless men. Han Xiao started yelling at his men, probably after finding out he wasn''t doing much.


    "What the hell are you doing?!" Han Xiao yelled. "You worthless bums! He''s just one man. How hard can it be?"


    Gale shoved another man in the young master''s direction.


    "Why don''t youe and see it for yourself?" he said, and rammed his foot on the knees of an iron ranker, leaving only one to remain standing. "Are you still going to attack?"


    Thest iron ranker clearly wanted to run as far away as possible from this smiling demon, however, the screaming Young Master narrowed his options too short. In the end, he came to Gale with some random moves.


    Gale knocked him out, punching him in the face.


    "Who would''ve wondered it would be so easy," he muttered and turned to the young master. "Well, I did."


    "YOU!"


    "Me?" Gale smiled. Perhaps it was a little fun.


    "You! You will not get away with this," Han Xiao said, and unconsciously stepped back. "You don''t know who my father is. My uncle is the mayor of this town. You won''t get away with this, I assure you."


    "Again, with overly used young master lines. When will you guys learn to improvise?" Gale said, shaking his head. "Don''t you have any weight of your own? Why don''t knowe at me like your men did? I would really feel bad if I had to chase down a scared, shitless young master and thrash him. Although it wouldn''t be the first time I have to do it, I assure you."


    "You!" Han Xiao repeated the same word in anger and humiliation, like a broken record yer. He turned around, as if watching the shadows. "What the hell are you waiting for, Uncle? He''s threatening me tantly."


    Gale raised his eyebrows and scanned the surroundings. ''I guess I missed that,'' he mused as his senses finally discovered a faint presence in the shadows. It was a silver ranker, quite good for a sneaky type, but couldn''t hold a candle against Twilight whose power was literally a cheat for sneaking around.


    ''How could I have forgotten? There was always someone watching the young master''s back, protecting him from the outsider as well as himself.''


    "Uncle!" Han Xiao kept screaming, now uncertain whether or not his uncle was there.


    "He''s in that direction." Gale pointed to the left, in the shadow of a tree.


    Han Xiao didn''t have to search for the hidden silver ranker anymore as a shadowy silhouette materialised soon in the direction where Gale pointed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Uncle!" Young Master Han sighed in relief. "Quickly capture him. I''ll make him pay for everything he caused--"


    "Shut your damn mouth," the shadowy neer said, "fool boy."


    "Uncle! You."


    The shadowy figure crept before the young master and confronted Gale. His entire cloak was made of shadow, it was fluttering in the idle wind, looking real menacing. It was probably a fate-lock in the shape of a cloak.


    Gale always wanted something like that when he was first summoned to this world. He even found one, but decided to not fuse with it as it might raise his chuunibyou tendencies.


    "I certainly hadn''t hoped to see a practitioner of your caliber appearing in this town," the shadowy man said. "Why are you acting against us?"


    Gale tilted his head. "I made the right decision," Gale mused. "The cloak does make one delusional. Oldman, are you dumb or just a regr crack-head?"


    Both parties were entirely aware Gale hadn''t started it. Well, he did make the young master run for his father the very first day. It still couldn''t be considered him acting against them. Not in his book.


    It was Young Master Han who came after him. Both of them knew that, but the Oldman had to throw empty words. And if you''re really throwing empty words, why don''t you just put the me on the other party?


    "Junior, don''t cross the line," the elderly assassin said as the air grew still.


    Gale clicked his tongue and broke the little intimidation skill the elderly assassin had learned. Air was, after all, his domain.


    The assassin narrowed his eyes. He tried to gain control of this invisible conflict of aura, but failed miserably in whatever he tried.


    A smile crept on Gale''s lips. This Oldman was good. If only he tried to do something else other than tricks with air, perhaps he might stand a chance.


    "I''ll give onest chance," Gale told the Oldman. "Educate your young master better. If I ever find him involved in some misdeed, especially involving Xiaolin, I''ll cripple him myself and that''s if my mood is decent."


    "You," it was the young master who replied first, "how dare you speak to me like this?"


    The assassin raised his arm to silence the youth. "Young man, you don''t know what you''re going up against," he said from a superior stand. "You don''t know who you''re making an enemy of just for one useless girl."


    "That useless girl is my disciple now, and I don''t mind going against the world if the world is in the wrong, much less the mayor of some town."


    ___________________


    Gale is crazy.

 Chapter 69 067 Aint The One (1)

    ?Days went by as Stormhold shaped into its ideal frame. Small wheat started to grow on the field, still far from brimming with greenery.


    Gale finished with the fences, which stopped most animals from trespassing and ruining the field. Weirdly, a few of the wild beasts tried to trespass into the field in the middle of the night, which led him to consider the number would only rise as the crops grew more.


    This was another reason why the farmers didn''t try to grow silver-rank crops, as it would call evenrger or possibly stronger wild beasts into the farm.


    Well, he nned to introduce some illusion formation on the fences, which should be enough to keep them away even when he tries to cultivate silver-rank grains.


    Anyway, for thest few days, Gale''s work had been only scribing strengthening and augmentation scripts in the ironwoods as the other workers built the house with them. Although Ironwood was tough enough tost a hundred years in normal condition, Gale still scripted it to make them ten times more durable. It didn''t cost much from his end.


    Thankfully, his mastery over the art would let him be a bit quicker than what the builders could build at that time.


    Throughout all this construction, Gale had already spent about twenty thousand gold coins already, and he would need to spend anotherrge sum like that one till thepletion. Well, it wasrge to most people, but not to him.


    Gale was mostly done with scribing for today and for the following couple of days. After weeding out the field and irrigating the field another time, he would have time to visit his disciple again and give her some advice.


    He hadn''t taught her anything yet, other than throwing some stuff at her. If he kept it at that, she would probably wonder he was a sorry excuse for a master.


    The workers had left early today, finishing their job. Vale was on the mountain again, probably enjoying his hunting. He''ll definitely bring in some meat for him to cook. Let''s just hope it wouldn''t be anything ridiculous like a five hundred kilograms boar like thest time.


    Gale whistled his way back to the house, carrying random stuff like farming tools, empty tes and bowls where he left food and water for birds.


    He was just cleaning them, whistling in some familiar rhythm, when he felt a presence approaching from behind.


    "I didn''t know you can sing too," a famine voice told him, "Mysterious Farmer Expert."


    Gale turned his head to find a familiar maiden who he had only seen in terrible blood-tattered clothes with terrible wounds. However, currently, the girl didn''t bore any signs of all those wounds, though they were serious enough to not heal within a couple of weeks without a miraculous healing potion.


    Anyway, Sumei wore a traditional white robe that highlighted her hourss figure perfectly. She was tall and somewhat plump for her age, with an oval exterior that seemed tock ornaments terribly. Although it hadn''t taken away any beauty from her face.


    She had braided her hair like amon town girl, though a few strands were sticking out after whatever she went through.


    "You don''t recognise me?" Sumei, the mysterious wounded girl who came to his house once in the middle of the night, said.


    "I recognised you fine," Gale said. "Just didn''t imagine I''d be seeing you so soon. Have your wounds healed enough to move around?"


    "They weren''t perfectly fine," she admitted, blushing a little. "It was, after all, taken care of by the mysterious expert. I can move around fine. Even I''m surprised at the potency of the treatment."


    She had a beauty mark below her lips and a dimple that lit up every now and then to steal the hearts of teenagers.


    "s! I was too devastated to see how this mysterious expert treated me," Sumei said, "that I could imitate it to heal faster."


    "The mysterious expert had to bear some air of mystery, after all," Gale said with augh.


    Gale narrowed his eyes slightly. This girl was clearly flirting with him, and he was in the mind to do the same, though he didn''t know how much would be appropriate for a conservative culture like theirs.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He couldn''t just say they could revisit the treatment anytime she wanted, though it would be much preferable in the south.


    "So you already know my name," Sumei said. "Why don''t we still introduce ourselves again?"


    "Nah," Gale said, returning to his cleaning. "I''d rather prefer Mysterious Farmer Expert."


    "So you admit to being a mysterious expert?"


    "Who knows," Gale said, projecting an exaggerated air of mysticism. "Perhaps it was someone else who treated you, and I''m just his doppelg?nger, who takes care ofmon things like cleaning the dishes, farming and cooking."


    "Did anybody ever tell you, your sense of humour is weird?"


    "Well, you aren''t the first," Gale agreed. "Anyway, what brings you to this humble farmer''s cottage?"


    "Humble?" Sumei raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the infrastructure where his mansion was taking form. "That doesn''t seem humble to my eyes."


    "It is humble in my heart," Gale chuckled. "Anyway, you aren''t from around here, are you?"


    Sumei shook her head in agreement.


    "Were you training in the mountains when you got those wounds?"


    "Somewhat like that."


    "You were alone?"


    "Isn''t everyone?" Sumeiughed with that killer dimple. "But true, it seemed like a bad idea to train alone in the mountains."


    "As long as you understand, though, you look like that kind of girl who will still jump into troubled water even after knowing the danger."


    "What gave the wrong impression?"


    "You fled from the bed bearing all those serious wounds. No normal patient would have the willpower or find the necessity to do something so crazy in the middle of the night."


    "I deemed it necessary."


    "You don''t trust people very much, do you?" Gale narrowed his eyes.


    "I trust as much as a stranger can be trusted," Sumei answered.


    That''s a bit cynical for a girl of her age, though he couldn''t say it was a bad thing. Gale couldn''t help but wonder what she had gone through to be this cynical.

 Chapter 70 068 Aint The One (2)

    ?That''s a bit cynical for a girl of her age, though he couldn''t say it was a bad thing. Gale couldn''t help but wonder what she had gone through to be this cynical.


    Through the conversation, Gale invited her inside the house. Weirdly, she hadn''t asked about all the wealth she probably had seen thest time she escaped from the house. Perhaps she deemed it inappropriate to ask about someone else''s belongings.


    Well, she hadn''t taken anything. She was too proud to do something so low.


    "Anyway, Mysterious Farmer Expert, or possibly his doppelg?nger," Sumei addressed with a smile. "Do you have anything this unfortunate girl can aplish?"


    "So that you can pay back the debt?" Gale asked. He moved to clean the dishes and bowls on the kitchen. He asked her about tea or other beverages, which politely declined, as she would depart soon enough.


    "Possibly."


    Gale thought for a moment. "Unless you think boring farm work is something worthy, I have nothing for you to repay me," he told her.


    "If it''s just simple farm work, then I have to work for years to pay the debt in full."


    "Something tells me you don''t have that much time," Gale said. It was pretty easy to guess through the way she talked and her bodynguage. This girl was made to stand in the martial world. She would achieve it on her own, or die trying.


    "Either way," Gale said, trying to lighten the mood, "how do you calcte how much you need to work to repay the debt? It seemed like a funny math to me."


    "Why?" Sumei perked her brows. "It''s a straightforward matter, though."


    "Do borate."


    "I''ll repay so long my heart says so," Sumei said with her killer smile.


    She was probably unaware of how charming her smile could get. It was almost impossible for a girl like her to be alone, no matter where she was. Heavenly genius and freakish practitioner would cater to her just for that smile.


    "Your heart says stuff?" Gale joked with mocked seriousness. "I wouldn''t really rmend listening to a suspicious organ that talks."


    Sumei burst intoughter and that smile reached her ears. Gale joined too. It had been too long since he found a girl who found his stupid jokes funny.


    "Jokes apart," Sumei said, "are you sure there''s nothing for me to do to repay the debt?"


    Gale finished cleaning the stuff and stored them in the kitchen. He had made it a habit to keep the usual items where his eyes would go regrly. If he put them inside his void lock, he would probably forget about feeding birds every now and then.


    Practitioners weren''t that safe from these usual forgetfulness like mortals, though they tend to remember stuff better.


    "Did you find something for me to do?"


    "I didn''t help you for you to repay me," Gale told her after a while.


    Sumei threw an incredulous stare for a nick of a moment, though it moved to contemtion shortly. Gale probably thought he had mistaken if he hadn''t caught it.


    "I just deemed you in need of help, and helped you," Gale said. "I expect nothing out of this."


    Sumei started at his eyes for an extended moment. "You''re serious, aren''t you?"


    Gale said nothing. As the air was growing serious between them, he couldn''t help but add, "Or perhaps it was my ploy to keep you here as long as I can."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Is that true?" Sumei asked.


    Gale didn''t answer her question. "What do you think?" he asked instead. "Will I be able to keep you here with that ploy?"


    Sumei narrowed her eyes. "I can see it working for some time," she said eventually. She sighed right after that.


    Both of them got out of the house as the pretty woman looked up at the sky. There was still slight light, as they could see birds flying back to their homes, as the sky was an abstract canvas of golden and red.


    "I''m like those birds," Sumei said. "I''ll eventually fly. No cage will confine me. Nobody will master over me. Eventually, I''ll break free from the confines, and I''ll be free. I''ll fly. Nobody will capture me."


    Gale gave her a long stare and finally sighed. They finally said their goodbyes for now. Sumei hadn''t left him anyway to contact her, though she said she would be back to repay her debt every now and then.


    Gale kept his eyes on her disappearing figure.


    ''She ain''t the one,'' he told himself and sat down on the porch, waiting for Vale toe back.


    The big boy came back after about an hour, dragging a dead mountain goat with him. Thankfully, it didn''t look like a domestic one, or they would have to apologise andpensate the owner yet again. Well, Vale was intelligent enough to not make the same mistake twice.


    Unfortunately, most humans, including Gale, weren''t that bright. Not always.


    He increased his pace, finding Gale waiting on the porch. He carried the heavy goat and let it go of his clutches when he reached the porch.


    "Damn boy, who''s going to eat all this meat?"


    "Woof!" The hound clearly had the expression that said, if no one eats it, then he would.


    "It took you so long to hunt this goat?"


    "Wuu, ouu, woof!" The hound clearly wanted to express something, but wasn''t particrly sure what it was to express.


    "You ventured into the mountains again?"


    "Woof!" Vale barked in agreement.


    "What''s it even in there?" Gale muttered and proceeded to take care of the goat. Perhaps Vale just liked to run around in the mountains. His home used to be in the mountains. Of course, he would like the environment.


    "Well, perhaps I''ll leave some for the workers tomorrow, and deliver some to the Shens. They had been helpful so far."


    ***


    ________________


    Monthly privilege goal: 274/1000. Let''s goooo. . .


    Again, thank you to all who''re reading the story and let heaven praise those who bought the privilege to help the book grow.


    Anyway, is the flirtation is cringe?

 Chapter 71 069 Ritual (1)

    ?Gale left Vale to guard the house again on his visit to the town. He felt terribly bad about this, however, he had no solution for this at the moment.


    He couldn''t just leave everything to heaven''s will when he threatened a short-tempered young master after beating up his men.


    Well, his n was tomission the ghostly practitioner Twilight to guard Stormhold against any misshapen when they were away. However, it seemed she wasn''t free at the moment or probably hadn''t taken him seriously to consider his offer.


    Ultimately, Gale could only leave everything to his trustworthypanion. Even if the people from the Han Family came to sabotage everything he erected so far, Vale would be able to stop it.


    Gale had a couple of tasks in the town, and he would like to stay another night toplete them. The first was toplete the deal with the Wang Family, while the second would be a bit time-consuming.


    Gale had to instruct his disciple for the first time. He never thought this day woulde when he would take someone under his wings as his disciple.


    What could he say? Life was full of surprises. His life in particr.


    Although Xiaolin''s talent and peculiarities had a big hand in leading him to take her as a disciple, there were some slight other issues as well.


    People seemed to get the wrong impression about their rtionship very often. Gale wanted to demise all those impressions before they could turn to rumours.


    True, Xiaolin was pretty and good-natured, but she was too young to be anything for him, save for a disciple or little sister. Well, the age difference wasn''t big, hardly six years¨CGale had seen plenty of people marrying withrger differences.


    A longer lifespan makes the status quo wacky sometimes.


    The Wang''s Inn was bustling with workers when Gale arrived. Every worker was in a haste toplete their task of cleaning the inn, carrying a broom or bucket of water.


    A simple question to one worker led him to find that they were cleaning on the asion of theing Harvest festival at the end of the month.


    "Seemed like a big event," Gale muttered and walked into the inn.


    It was way past morning for him to find Xiaolin in the small garden, meditating. However, he found her there, but instead of meditating, she was practising the physical arts he handed her with Wang Li.


    Two women shed with one another with wooden swords in their arms. It didn''t take an expert to find Xiaolin was on the losing end, but it was alright since they were only sparring.


    Wang Li was a copper ranker for years. She had neglected spirit arts for a prolonged time, but after revisiting her old teachings, she adapted pretty well. It was obvious Xiaolin would find herself at the short end of the stick in the spar.


    Moreover, Qi changes the body the more you hold on to it. There were practically two factors in this: the first was the simply sheer amount of Qi, while the other was time.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although Xiaolin''s body had more affinity to worldly energy, Wang Li''s body held onto Qi for longer periods of time and wasrger in quantity. Obviously, her endurance and resilience would be better than his disciple.


    However, something was wrong with how these two women were practising. It was as if both parties were trying their best to not hurt the other party. Their grasp over the Qi was clumsy as well.


    Of course, Xiaolin had a minuscule amount of Qi which didn''t recover after she spent it, but Wang Li should have at least ten times more of Xiaolin, why was she like this? Probably worried about hurting the frail girl.


    ''This is bad,'' Gale thought. ''At this rate, it will take them years before they can take the first step.''


    However, Gale didn''t stop them. He let them spar until Xiaolin''s body gave in, as she basically couldn''t endure anymore. She fell t on the ground as they ended the spar. Her chest heaved up and down like a fish out of water.


    Gale sighed, shaking his head. "It seemed you hadn''t taken your master''s words seriously at all," he said, adopting a disappointing tone that he was all too familiar with. ''Well, at least, I hadn''t been this stupid in the beginning.''


    "Seni. . .master," Xiaolin called, and stood back up, even though her legs were wobbly. She was barely standing. She bowed, following the courtesy, and the older woman did the same.


    Both were soaking in sweat as their training attire was glued to their bodies. Xiaolin waspletely spent, while Wang Li had much of her stamina left.


    "Oh Master Gale," Wang Li said with augh. "I was taking care of your disciple, as I promised you. What do you think of our sparring?"


    Gale narrowed his eyes and considered something to say that might not be too offending. But he stopped himself, thinking sometimes people need a reality check, especially when they have arge ground to cover.


    "It''s terrible." Just as the words left his mouth, both women''s expressions turned unsightly. But Gale wasn''t finished yet. Not even nearly. "Even the most amateurish practitioner would feel good about themselves watching you two practise. I wanted to count what''s wrong with all you have shown but the moment I started, I delegated to count what''s right about you two. At least I have fewer things to count. By fewer, I meant one. Only one.


    "Honestly, your basics weren''t half bad for someone who barely started it, but all the good ended right there. It''s like . . ."


    Gale wanted to continue, but he stopped finding Xiaolin already on the verge of tearing up.


    ''Oops, I got carried away,'' he mused and sighed. It hasn''t even been time to make her cry. Worse training was waiting for her. He couldn''t just let her cry for something so stupid.


    However, while the younger woman was on the verge of crying, the older one adopted a furious look.


    She red at Gale, pointing her wooden sword at him. "Fight me."

 Chapter 72 070 Ritual (2)

    ?Wang Li red at Gale, pointing her wooden sword at him. "Fight me."


    Gale raised an eyebrow. "You mean spar?"


    "Whatever," Wang Li said and took her stance, slumping her shoulders in a nted position.


    Well, her basics weren''t bad. And it didn''t look like she would stop until Gale gave her a lesson. Gale considered what good woulde of their sh as an idea resurfaced in his mind.


    Practical examples were always better than theory.


    Gale approached Xiaolin and took her wooden sword, which was barely better than a stick. "I''ll borrow that," he said and then poke her slightly in the legs as Xiaolin fell again. "You rest for now. I''ll give you a mouthful after I finish with her."


    Gale advanced and stoodfortably in front of Wang Li, whose eyes were zing like a protective mother, standing up for her cub. Perhaps, she thought, Gale wronged Xiaolin, badmouthing her about all her hard work.


    "How''ll we do this?" he said. "I can restrict myself to your level, but that would hardly change anything. How ''bout this: I won''t use Qi or any advantage of my superior constitution. All you have to do isnd a blow to win this."


    Wang Li grew even angrier as she heard Gale. Of course, hearing something like your opponent handicapping himself for a fair fight would make anyone''s blood boil. Much less so after how Gale disregarded their hard work.


    Wang Li shot at him with everything she had. In her anger, she hadn''t forgotten her stance, however; nor did she attack like a furious animal. Gale had topliment her for this, though if he did, she would take it as sarcasm.


    Thus, Gale remained silent and dodged her attack, stepping sideways. Although Wang Li had the basics figured out, she was wide open after Gale dodged her first attack. If Gale acted just a little quicker, he would be able to deal a severe blow. Both to her body and esteem.


    But that wouldn''t be fair. Well, anything Gale would do would hardly be fair.


    He didn''t attack and let her y as she liked. She showered at him blow after blow, while Gale just read her moves before she could make them. This was something he couldn''t stop. His mind had adapted to reading his opponent''s moves after years of experience.


    Wang Li became faster and faster with her relentless assault after getting nowhere. She discovered Gale was reading her moves and her response was to move faster than he could anticipate. She wasn''t reserved like she had been with Xiaolin at all.


    His disciple watched from the sideline, hardly picking up anything other than being in awe at how fast they were going. She had a newfound respect for her master, watching him dodging whatever her elder sister throwing at him. What would it take for her to be like this? She wondered as she watched.


    Wang Li pushed her body to the limit, strengthening her agility, and reliance using all her Qi. She forced Gale to draw his sword to block her move for the first time. And then the second time. It went as far as the third, fourth . . . Eighth.


    But that was it. She couldn''tnd a single blow. It was as if all she was doing was ying into his hand. The master of scribe wasn''t just good at scribing after all.


    ? "You''re better than I thought," Gale said, "but this is hardly entertaining."


    Then, for the first time, Gale drew his sword true.


    Gale drew closer for an attack. He plunged to her right, swinging his sword in a wide swipe. Wang Li''s mind rang as she held her wooden sword in a block. However, at the moment of contact, Gale''s sword twisted in its path in a feint.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale showed her his move for her to prepare a block, and she did exactly that. With theck of experience, she clearly couldn''t read his intention of the feints, even though it was quite clear.


    His movended true on Wang Li''s thigh, breaking her Qi defence even though Gale used no Qi in the attack. Her mastery over the arts wasn''t nearly enough to be impregnable against anything without Qi.


    Wang Li yelped as her stance broke. She fell, sweat dripping from all over as she panted.


    "You''re relentless in your attack," Gale told her. "Why weren''t you like that when you were sparring with Linlin? Do you think she''ll get better if you show her mercy all the time?"


    "We were just sparring," Wang Li said, wheezing.


    "We''re sparring too. Why do you think I won against you so easily?"


    "Obviously, you''re better at it," Wang Li said. "And you anticipated all my moves."


    "Yes, you learned that through sparring and tried everything to get out of my readings," Gale continued. "You obviously have failed, but at least you learned something new. However, with how you and Linlin were training, I see almost no progress in them."


    "Then what do you want? Beat her blue so that she won''t be able to practise for days?"


    "Obviously, I wanted you to hold back," Gale said, adopting a milder tone, "but not to the degree where all the effort will be pointless. Sparring is about putting your practice into practicality. You have to give her the opportunity to make mistakes, or else what''s the point of it?"


    Wang Li wentpletely silent. "I was afraid of hurting her," she said eventually.


    "If you''re afraid of getting hurt or hurting anyone, you''d get nowhere with this."


    Gale sighed and approached Xiaolin who stood back up. Her face bore a pensive expression, waiting to get bashed.


    "Have I told you not to exhaust yourselfpletely in training?"


    "I followed all the instructions on the paper to the point," she said, looking down. Her voice was barely audible.


    "You did," Gale said. "Did it ever ur to you that instruction wasn''t limited only to exercise?"


    Xiaolin was too ashamed to answer.


    "Why hadn''t Grandma stopped you or advised you better when you two started to do as you like?"


    "Grandma wasn''t avable most of the time these days," Wang Li told him. "She''s had to visit different ces to get the funds for the fate lock."

 Chapter 73 071 Ritual (3)

    ?Gale showed Xiaolin the basic stances one after another, while also exining their advantages and disadvantages. Although these were basic stances, they were at the heart of allbat skills. You could implement them on the battlefield no matter what weapon you have.


    "I don''t want you to learn from my stances," Gale said after finishing his exnation. "Do you know why?"


    "Because I''m not skillful enough to learn them?"


    Gale shook his head. "You aren''t absolutely wrong, but that''s not the point," Gale said. "When you learn from another individual, it''s pretty easy to take in ws from their movies. You''ll learn the moves, thinking they were the most perfect in the world, but unwittingly, you''ll be practising the wed moves.


    "Moreover, a practitioner''s style ys into it too. I have been practising for over six years, and naturally, I adapted to the way which is most efficient for me to move in. Look at our stature. I''m easily a foot and a half taller than you and twice your weight. Our ways aren''t verypatible with each other."


    Xiaolin frowned cutely. Her clothes were soaked in sweat, but Gale hadn''t let her exhaust herself. He would let her rest timely whenever she was at the halfway point of her limit. That way, she could do more than what she would be able to in a single turn.


    "Then I should just practice from the scroll?"


    "Yes, for now," Gale said. "You will need to go against hundreds of opponents to make your style. It isn''t possible without experience.


    "Other than that, you''recking in Qi maniptions. Although you have a better Qi affinity than most people, youcked any mastery over Qi arts. I know your constitution won''t let you recover Qi naturally, which caused most of the problem. That''s why I think we should try to make you advance to copper sooner."


    Xiaolin''s eyes lit up. "You mean?"


    "Yes, we''ll start on next week," Gale answered, much to her delight. "Also, I would need to observe the entire process, and we can''t just do that here with pure crystal. I''ll be taking you to Stormhold next week. Is there any problem with that?"


    Xiaolin shook her head.


    "Good, now practice. I''ll go see Grandma Yushen about the deal."


    ***


    The deal went without a hitch. Guo Zong, the manager, acted as the witness between the two parties. After finalising the deal, grandma Wang wanted her granddaughter to fuse with the fate-lock as soon as possible.


    Gale borated about the whole ritual process they would have to go through. The ritual was simple and short. All Wang Li had to do was wait till midnight, then she had to transfer Qi to the cloth like Fate-lock, which she would be wrapped in. Moreover, she would have to be submerged in water for the entire time.


    As far as rituals go, this one was pretty simple and straightforward. Grandma and Madam Wang decided they would be done with it tonight.


    For the rest of the day, Gale was totally free. Well, he could have taught Xiaolin more, but teaching didn''t go like that. She already had her hands full with everything he had given her, no need to put her through more. It would be like biting more than she could chew.


    So till the evening, Gale yed with Rong''er and Xiaolin. He met the white-haired Sun Ziang once in the morning, though the newly arrived enforcer was busy with his work. The scion of the Sun n told them he asked about Xiaolin''s condition to the best healer of their n at Grandma''s request.


    The healer said she had some ideas, but she would like to check up personally. That''s about it. Being the best healer of the legendary Sun n certainly put her on a busy schedule. They weren''t sure when she would have time to check on Xiaolin.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Just like that, it was midnight, and the time toplete the ritual.


    ***


    This was probably the biggest night of Wang Li''s life. Well, probably the second biggest, the first being her wedding night. That certainly went well. The marriage was almost a disaster, and it wasn''t going well currently at all.


    Wang Li breathed in and out, driving away all the negative thoughts. The night wind was chilly, and she wasn''t wearing anything under the robe, as she would have to be naked for the ritual.


    Weirdly, most fate lock fusion rituals require the practitionerpletely naked or at least physically in contact with the item. Although there were exceptions, she didn''t have the good fortune to get on with that.


    Thankfully, this ritual wasn''t as tough as the other one she would need to do to fuse with the other fate lock Grandma had.


    All she had to do was to transfer Qi into the cloth-like fate lock while being submerged in the water. Well, the process wouldn''t take long, only about a few minutes. She would have to hold her breath for that long.


    Seemed pretty easy enough.


    Still, she couldn''t help but get nervous.


    "Getting nervous, are we?" the foreigner and also Linlin''s new master asked her. He handed her a cup full of hot drinks. "Here, take this."


    "What''s this?" Wang Li asked. While inwardly she added: ''He won''t be here the whole time, will he?''


    The one Wang Li wanted to be there for her was her husband, but they hadn''t been on talking termstely. Although she had reminded him yesterday and invited him, she hadn''t seen his figure so far.


    ''He''s probably enjoying himself with some whores,'' she thought and almost crushed the cup in her hand.


    "Easy," Gale told her. "You''re way too rigid about this. This drink will help you calm your ''nervous system''."


    "Nerva what?"


    "The mind," Gale said, gesturing with his finger to her head.


    Gale then delivered Auoana''s Scarf to her and made his way out of the garden.


    "Sensei, you won''t be here till the end?" Xiaolin asked, addressing his master in that weird term.


    "The ritual is a bit inappropriate for an outsider like me to stay," leaving those words, the foreigner left.

 Chapter 74 072 Ritual (4)

    ?"The ritual is a bit inappropriate for an outsider like me to stay," leaving those words, the foreigner left.


    Wang Li watched him go, and her sight glued to the door, hoping for it to be opened again with her husbanding to encourage her.


    But it was her turn to be disappointed. Nobody came till she finished the drink. The chilliness lessened from her system as Wang Li focused on the task at hand. She wouldn''t take failure for an answer here, even if there was no one to encourage her.


    "It''s time," Grandma told her after a while as Wang Li stood up. "You got this. Don''t think too much. Listen to what your heart desires."


    Wang Li braced herself as Xiaolin helped her strip off the robe. It didn''t take long for her to gopletely naked. The scarf was barely enough to wrap on her chest, and it hardly changed anything.


    Thankfully, there was no stranger here to see her like this. Only two of the closest people. She would''ve liked Rong''er here too, but it''s way past his bedtime.


    Exchanging nods with her grandmother and Xiaolin, Wang Li crept into the pool in the middle of the night. The only light source there was a full and a half moon.


    Auoana''s Scarf seemed to glitter in the dim light, detecting someone triggered the fusion ritual. Warm feverish energy flowed from the scarf as Wang Li submerged herself in the water.


    She didn''t wait a moment to transfer her Qi into the scarf,scarf, as it was already unbearable. She fed with as much Qi as she could, and it fed her with all the warmth of the world.


    The process continued as her figure, particrly the upper body, glittered in gold light. An impaling stab of pain struck her in the head, but Wang Li held onto her conviction. She continued, as the warmth was almost too much for her. It was burning her body, boiling the water.


    She continued transferring Qi. However, a momentter a thought struck her. She wouldn''t be able to make it. She would run out of Qi before the fusion processpletes.


    All the doubts struck her all at once. Wang Li felt short of breath. Her mind was a chaotic mess with the stabbing pain.


    A vision surfaced in her mind. It was her parents cutting short her resources. They called her useless. That vision changed to her husband, who she couldn''t understand anymore.


    "Wasn''t worth it," her husband told her.


    Wang Li held on through the burning, her mind barely maintaining against the crushing force.


    The vision changed to her grandmother. The elderly figure said, "Perhaps your parents were right all along."


    Wang Li cried as everything forced her to give up. She was a failure from the beginning. What''s there to prove? It won''t change anything.


    The vision changed. It was Xiaolin this time, who gave her a totally detestable look. "At least I have an excuse for my uselessness. What do you have, elder sister?"


    Wang Li gritted her teeth. She couldn''t bear it anymore. She doesn''t deserve all this. All she ever wanted was a loving family. The martial way wasn''t for someone like her.


    The vision changed again, and the figure twisted into something thatrgely resembled her, though vastly beautiful.


    "I told you one day you''d understand," Wang Qi told her. "I hope you understand now why they did it. . ."


    Wang Li broke as madness took over her. She wanted to give up. She wanted nothing of this. But she couldn''t. This was herst stand. If she gave up now, there wouldn''t be anything left for her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The loving family she ever wanted would be broken, and she would be left with nothing. Grandma wouldn''t want her. Xiaolin would detest her. As for her parents and sister, they hardly acknowledged her existence.


    Then there was her husband. What would he say if she failed?


    What about her son? What about Rong''er?


    She had to seed, if not for herself, then for Rong''er. It was within her power to give him everything her parents couldn''t.


    ''I''ll seed.''


    Wang Li continued on as she hovered between the unbearable burning and agonising stabbing pain in her mind.


    She''llst till the end. Nobody would tell her she didn''t try hard enough. ''I''ll seed."


    Then her mana ran out.


    Shested more than she had hoped, but in the end, she failed. In the end, she was only fated to go this far. She was an absolute failure. . . an absolute . . .


    The burning decreased right after she ran out of Qi. Within a moment, it turned normal as Auoana''s Scarf evaporated into nothingness. Wang Li felt a warm energy spread in her chest as she rose from the steaming water.


    "You have seeded," Grandma told her and helped her get out. Her body was painstakingly sluggish and exhausted.


    "I. . . I felt like I will die," Wang managed to say.


    Grandma nodded as Linlin helped her wear the robes. Well, it took the two of them to clothe her. Grandma held her straight as Linlin wrapped her in the robe. Wang Li had nothing left to care about. She was still panting, her chest rising up and down, and the stabbing pain was still there in her head.


    "Isn''t this supposed to be easy?"


    "The first time is supposed to be like this," her grandmother told her. She kissed her on the cheek and forehead. "I''m proud of you."


    Xiaolin helped her sit on the porch as Gale came back to congratte her shortly after. The foreigner avoided looking at her for most of the conversation. Xiaolin hadn''t managed to clothe her properly and with nothing under, she wasn''t appropriate to look at as the robe was stuck to her wet body.


    Honestly, Wang Li was too exhausted to care about anything.


    She seeded. Oh heaven, she seeded.


    ______________


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 Chapter 75 073 Ritual (5)

    ?"You said this will be easy," Wang Liined to the foreigner. "This isn''t easy at all."


    "Well, that''s your fault, to be honest," Gale said with a smile and gave her another drink. This foreigner seemed to be with the right thing at the right moment. Perhaps having a vast personal space helped there. "Well, fault isn''t the right term to describe it. Hmm. . . How about perseverance?"


    "What do you mean?" Wang Li asked, perking her brows.


    Gale didn''t answer, but turned to his disciple. "Linlin, will you go and fetch me some sugar?"


    The disciple left, giving him a quizzical gaze. She wasn''t sure where''s need for sugar was, but too meek to question.


    "You see, your first fusion with a fate lock is always a unique experience," Gale told her. "In a way, the first fusion ys a big role in determining a practitioner''s potential."


    "I''m still lost as I was before." And it was not just because her mind waspletely exhausted. Somehow, this foreigner wasn''t making sense.


    "Obviously," Galeughed. "Do you know you''d still seed in the fusion even if you gave in the middle?"


    "What?!" Wang Li rose up and glowered at the foreigner. "Why haven''t you told me that before?"


    "Your grandmother knew it."


    Gale still had a smile on his lips. Wang Li felt like punching him in the face, but she hardly had the strength left to follow with her intention. Moreover, this foreigner was secretly a powerhouse. Nothing good woulde from offending someone like that. Not that he seemed like someone who''d care.


    "Grandma," she called after her grandmother. "Are you hearing this? Did he really tell you that?"


    "I knew it from the beginning," the old woman said. "He didn''t have to tell me that."


    "What. . . why?"


    "As I said, the first fusion is a unique experience," Gale continued with his exnation. "The practitioner wasn''t allowed to know that there was hardly any chance of failure. There were only two oues, sess or death, though thetter is extremely rare."


    "The only reason we didn''t allow you to know this is that the first fusion ys a big role in the practitioner''s potential," Grandma Wang carried on with the exnation. "We let the practitioner decide for themselves."


    "What about deciding is in this?" Wang Li snorted. "You two didn''t even give me a chance."


    "Then if we told you''d seed, will you try your hardest or will you give up in the middle?"


    Wang Li went silent at her grandma''s question.


    "Girl, there are two groups of people, one who thinks too highly of themselves, while the other was opposite, who thinks too little of themselves. You''re very easily in thetter group. If we told about the fact of this ritual to them, what do you think will happen?"


    It was Gale who answered for her. "Those who think too highly of themselves would probably seed in getting a perfect fusion, although they could also die or get devastated if they didn''t manage a perfect fusion.


    "Those who thought little of themselves, or have an inferiorityplex, those people would give in right when it would start to get ufortable. In the end, it''s already a sess, so what if they hadn''t got a perfect fusion? They will think perfect fusion is for only those heavenly geniuses, and won''t care to understand it''s just about perseverance."


    "That''s why it''s strictly forbidden to tell a fast-timer about this. We let their spirit decide for themselves. If they felt their life was threatened, they would give up most of the time."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Wang Li understood why the twisted way. That''s why Gale sent Xiaolin for sugar. He didn''t want her to know this before her first fusion.


    "So the perfect fusion?" Wang Li raised an eyebrow. "Did I manage that?"


    "Barely," Grandma, who was present the whole time, said, "but you did."


    "Well, congrattions," Gale congratted. "Do you feel any change in your body?"


    Wang Li frowned and considered the question. "My Qi it rose?" she said incredulously. "No, that''s not it, but it''s like I can control them better, and they are way more intimate. They used to be rigid before, but now it''s as easy as pie. There''s something more too. . . ."


    "Well, that''s one benefit of the perfect fusion," Gale said.


    "You mentioned something about potential?"


    "Yes, if you hadn''t managed a perfect fusion, or then you''d never be able to manage that in the future," Gale said. "That''s why practitioners are advised to take something simple for their first fate lock."


    "Now that you have seeded, there''s still hope for you to seed in the future," Grandma said. "Now go back and rest. It''s already toote."


    "Grandma, I''d like to cycle," Wang Li said. "Something weird happened to my Qi, and I can feel something is changing within me. I would like to grasp it better."


    "Fine, but no more than two hours."


    Wang Li nodded as Grandma departed from there.


    "You''re excited aren''t you?" the foreigner asked her. "Have you checked the fate lock mark?"


    Wang Li''s eyes widened, and she immediately loosened her robe to peek at her chest. In the centre of her chest, there was a small golden leaf mark, glittering slightly. Unwittingly, she brought her finger there and poked. She felt no different from usual.


    Then she remembered how inappropriately she acted. She closed her robe, clutching her hands on her chest in a cross, her face heating up.


    She turned to find the foreigner looking in the other direction. His face was a bit red, but he kept his nonchnt act.


    He was a master of keeping hisposure as well.


    Wang Li sighed in relief.


    Maybe she acted too quickly as the door opened right at the moment as Linlin came back carrying the bottle of sugar.


    "Sensei, your sugar. . ." her voice trailed off as she peered at both of them. A questioning mark hovered above her head. "Did something happen?"


    Gale didn''t answer. He stood up and stretched a little. "It''s gettingte. I''m going to bed. Good night,dies."


    _________

 Chapter 76 074 Qi Dynamics (1)

    ?Wang Li''s achievement in the fate lock fusion seemed to fire her up in practising spirit arts. She had been cycling non-stop since dawn, forgetting about her duties at the inn. In the end, Grandma Wang took over for her.


    Well, the Inn was going through a renovation on the asion of the festival, there weren''t taking any new customers nowadays. Though all of that would change as they were giving a new look to the inn, keeping all the serenity of the old look.


    Plus, with the higher quality of wine and alcohol Wang Li would be able to brew using her new fate-lock, he could see Wang''s Inn rising astronomically in the following year.


    Anyway, it wasn''t just Wang Li who was fired up in training. Along with her, Linlin wasn''t losing out any bit. After finishing her morning session, she practised the physical arts under Gale''s observation. That cost her all the Qi she managed to umtest night and in the morning session.


    Well, that was the way of spiritual arts. umte Qi and waste them through other arts.


    The physical body didn''t just grow as one umtes Qi. Although the metamorphosis of rank-up gives a boost, that''s hardly enough. A practitioner had to put their body through rigorous training, using the Qi along the way.


    Only through this process would their body get used to Qi and grow more resilient.


    That''s where Xiaolin''s problem was. Her body was terribly inefficient to let her do all that. Her umted Qi didn''t recover after usage, which rendered her at the lowest of the rank for all these years.


    If not for that, she wouldn''t even need a master to reach iron rank with hertent talent. And with the right resources, Silver was not an issue at all. Even the proud scion of Sun n was barely at silver, and he was a couple of years older than her.


    Well, it is not a race to get to the top with the fastest speed, but that told a story.


    After watching her practice with all her heart, Gale promised to bring her with him today so that they could work on the advancement. It was a week earlier, but that''s alright. Her physical body would hardly break through with the speed she was going.


    Only through advancing to copper could she change that.


    Wang Li finally woke up from her morning cycling session. Her eyes widened, finding how far the sun had risen. She was at it for over five hours.


    "My cycling speed rose," she said and stood up. Wang Li stretched as a cranking noise came. "You said the fate-lock won''t provide any assistance in cycling speed."


    "Naturally, a practitioner gets better at controlling their Qi after a fate-lock fusion," Gale said. "It''s not the fate lock that is assisting you, but you yourself at the root of the issue. The fate-lock is perfectly fused with your spirit, which lets you have better control over your Qi, and now whenever you practise, you can channel almost to your full efficiency."


    "So I was inefficient before?" Wang Li''s lips twitched as she said that.


    "That''s a crude way to put it," Gale said, "but yes. If it was Linlin in your ce, she wouldn''t get that much of a boost. She''s already at the peak of her efficiency in her rank."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Is that so?" Wang Li perked her brows as she turned to the frail girl, who was practising her sword moves. "How would you solve her problem if she was already at the peak of her efficiency in cycling?"


    "Naturally we''ll have to introduce foreign content to her system, which will enable her to have a higher level of efficiency."


    "The pure crystal thing you told us about?"


    Gale nodded. "A gold body is the most efficient for cycling as all the cells in the body process the Qi simultaneously." Gale carried on with his exnation. "In contrast, a copper body is less than 10% efficient in Qi processing. Iron is a lot better as most practitioners at the peak of iron can work at 50% efficiency. Silver rank mostly changes the senses, but in QI processing, it''s about the same as iron. While at Gold, just advancing to Gold makes your body hit the 90% mark.


    "However, these are all numbers. They don''t represent the boost one gets as they rank up. The boast didn''t work that linearly. The difference between copper and gold isn''t just around ten times. The actual number is muchrger. Each metamorphosis changes the body. The more you grow, the more magical you be"


    Wang Li nodded in understanding as the Master practitioner finally let her on some secret of higher practitioners. "And the pure crystal can skip the rank disparity and boost the Qi processing? How efficient can it be?"


    "An iron ranker can easily work at 70 to 90% efficiency, however, it won''t be half as close to that of a gold ranker," Gale exined. "As I mentioned, the body goes through qualitative changes after ranking up. However, considering Xiaolin''s perk, she can easily be as efficient as a peak iron ranker in Qi processing."


    "I don''t understand it fully, but isn''t that cheating?"


    "It is, but there''s a catch," Gale said with augh. "Pure Crystal exhausts the body to a tremendous degree. The way Xiaolin is now, she would be exhausted in only ten minutes.


    "That''s why the physical training," Wang Li muttered as it clicked right to her.


    "Obviously, ten minutes wouldn''t be enough for her to reach copper," Gale said. "As far as I''m concerned, she would have to at least hold close to a couple of hours."


    Wang Li whistled.


    "From halfway point to copper in two hours," Gale mumbled. "I don''t see her seeding anytime soon."


    Not to mention the exhaustion of the body, there was still the exhaustion of spirit and mind. Gale had to find a way to grow her spiritual and mental fortitude as well.


    ____________


    Gale''s shback chaptering after this . . .

 Chapter 77 075 Qi Dynamics (2)

    ?"Are you able to understand how to use Auoana''s Scarf?"


    "I haven''t tried it yet," Wang Li answered, "but I think I can do something with it."


    "Why don''t we try it now?" As Gale finished, a bun dropped on his hand out of nowhere. "Here, enhance this."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes, peering at the bun. It appeared excellently baked, probably something cooked up by the master practitioner. Even without having a fate lock like her, a master practitioner could do a thing or two to raise the vour using their Qi. Which made it difficult for her to do anything surprising.


    Still, she tried. Wang Li closed her eyes and focused on the mark on the centre of her chest. Shortly, golden mist materialised out of her hand as it circled around the bun in her palm. The mist twisted together to form a thin scarf, enveloping the bun.


    Wang Li opened her eyes and transferred her newly umted Life and nt Qi into the bun. The process was slow and deliberate. She had to be absolutely focused on this transfer to not ruin the bun.


    For around two minutes, Wang Li continued pouring in Qi as sweat dripped from her forehead. Her face got red and she finally withdrew the scarf.


    Auoana''s Scarf turned into golden mist and vanished back into her body. Unwittingly, Wang Li touched the centre of her chest.


    "This is as far as I can do currently," Wang Li said, wiping her forehead. "I barely umted enough nt and Life Qi to do this."


    Gale could see her mind calcting how much she would need to start brewing wine and repay her grandma back.


    "Let me taste the bread," Gale said, and took the bun from her palm. "Let''s see what you have improved in it."


    Gale tore a piece of it and put it into his mouth. He chewed with a contemtive expression.


    "This is clumsy work," he said, earning a groan from Wang Li. "Obviously, you haven''t managed to intricate the Qi to the bun, nor have you managed to improve the vour--"


    Wang Li pped him on the shoulder as Gale protested in the pretence of being hurt.


    "Are you always this demanding?" Wang Li barked at him. "And I''m not even your disciple."


    "Let me finish, will you," Gale said and took another bite of the bun. "If you want empty words of encouragement find someone else, but if you really want to improve then hear me out."


    "It''s barely my first try," Wang Li sulked.


    "Well, it''s passable for the first try," Gale said. "Obviously you have no experience in it and enhancing something already cooked is outside of your league. Should I give you my personal cookbook, you can learn a thing or two from that and improve faster?"


    Wang Li raised an eyebrow. "Your cookbook?"


    "Yup," Gale said. "I wrote about all my experiences in all things rted to cooking. There are a bunch of original recipes, but mostly how to intricate Qi on different types of ingredients and raise their vour. I tried wine brewing too, but that hadn''t achieved anything yet."


    "When do you find to learn all these things?" Wang Li couldn''t help but ask. "Didn''t learning all those scripts take a lot of time? And you''re already a master at it? Oh, don''t tell me you''re one of those hundred years old and managed to keep your youth through ranking up."


    "Honesty, I do feel like an Oldman on some mornings, but in truth, I''m not that much older than you," Gale said and turned to Xiaolin.


    "How much is not much?" Wang Li wasn''t convinced.


    Gale didn''t answer her, but addressed his disciple. "Linlin, you''re done for now. Come taste what your elder sister modified."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Master, I can go on a bit longer."


    "Of course, you can, but you won''t. Nowe back and rest."


    Xiaolin abided, albeit a little reluctantly. Gale handed her the bun to taste as she sat down on the porch alongside them.


    Xiaolin frowned as she sniffed the bun. "It has your smell in it, elder sister," she said.


    "Don''t say weird stuff, Linlin."


    "But it''s the truth." Xiaolin ate a small piece of it as her face changed colour. "This is recovering my stamina quicker."


    "Really?" Wang Li was startled as she turned to Gale.


    "Well, it''s full of Life Qi, and with Xiaolin''s constitution, of course, she would get something more than any normal folk," Gale exined. "It''s almost like a low-level recovery potion to her."


    "This is really great, elder sister," Xiaolin said.


    "Great? Your master didn''t seem to think so." Wang Li was obviously delighted as she let her tongue out at Gale.


    "My standard is a bit higher," Gale chuckled. "The moment you''re able to safely treat mortal men''s ailments with just a bun, then you''ll know you have achieved something with your fate-lock and in my eyes. Anything else is too easy."


    Wang Li frowned at hisment and nodded with a sigh.


    "What else can you do, elder sister?"


    "I''m not entirely sure," Wang Li said. "I could feel the trees in the surrounding area when I was cycling. I think I''ll do better in an open environment instead of a cultivation chamber."


    Naturally, that''s the way to cultivate nt and Life Qi. The same was true with Earth Qi.


    "That is going to be a problem. Your cycling here can damage the garden in the long run," Gale added contemptuously.


    "Why so, Master?"


    "Basically, what Madam Wang was doing was absorbing the natural Life and nt attributed energy and making them her own. That presents ack of natural life energy in the surrounding area, if that umtes, nts wouldn''t get their much-needed energy and eventually withered. Without a proper formation array in ce, this garden will wither within a month."


    Wang Li''s expression grew anxious as she heard him. "Formation array?" She asked. "You can make those right? How much will it cost?"


    ___________


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 Chapter 78 076 Qi Dynamics (3)

    ?"You can make those right? How much will it cost?"


    "I can make them, but I don''t think it''ll solve anything in the long run," Gale said as he started to prepare a drink for his disciple. It was an incentive to help her grow physically. "Eventually, as you rank your need of Life and nt Qi would rise, I don''t think this little ce would be worth it for you to cycle here. You can do the morning here as Life Qi was the most vibrant then, but outside that refrained from now on.


    "As for the formation? I''ll put together something to protect the nts. It''s easy. You don''t have to pay me anything."


    Wang Li nodded contemptuously.


    "Apart from that, you can always cycle anywhere you like, but you have to be deliberate about not harming the environment. Simple meditation without absorbing energy has advantages too."


    "I''m learning new things every day," Wang Li said. Well, all this wouldn''t be too hard for her to figure out. At copper rank, she wouldn''t particrly worry about hurting the environment.


    With natural energy density terribly low here, it was in the iron rank where everyone needed to worry about.


    "Well, you can always consume rich herbs or potions," Gale said and handed Xiaolin the cup of green drink. "It''s way easier."


    Wang Li snorted. Of course, if she asked her grandma, she would collect all the herbs she would need to break through into iron within two months. But Wang Li couldn''t trouble her grandma anymore.


    "Master, it smells terrible," Xiaolin said, wrinkling her nose.


    "But you can feel the rich energy within it, no?"


    Xiaolin became silent and peered seriously at the cup. She took a deep breath and gulped down everything in one breath.


    Her face turned unsightly. . . no, not unsightly. She was never unsightly looked at. In contrast, she looked rather cute with her sour look.


    Gale took a mental note to keep a recording construct in hand when he would make her eat that againter.


    "Master, what''s the difference between the energy within a spirit coin and within a herb?" Xiaolin asked. "I always felt there was a clear distinction between them. Is it because spirit coins are the pure manifestation of energy, whereas herbs are processed energy?"


    "You answered your question on your own," Gale said, patting her on the shoulder. "Your answer is just about right. Like how humans processed the energy to their own Qi, nts do that too ording to their needs. For example, a Phoenix tree umtes fire and life energy and turns them through its internal processes. It isn''t always as twisted as a practitioner''s Qi. That way, most of the time, herbs aren''t poisonous to us."


    "It''s weird how energy turns to Qi," Xiaolin muttered in contemtion. "How do we do it, really? I know I deliberately cycle the energy throughout my channels, but that''s it. How does the energy turn to Qi?"


    "That''s a great question." Gale smiled. Most practitioners, even those geniuses, always went on with relentless practises and never stopped to ask questions like these. "Linlin, why do all your clothes have your smell in them?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Because I wear them every once in a while."


    "That''s right," Gale said. "You wore the clothes to make it your own, and it even has your signature smell in them. Energy is like that too. The first school of spirit arts, when they founded the cycling arts, they discovered everyone has a different Qi signature. Even two identical twins have different Qi signatures. Even if they cycle in the same environment, and deal with the same issue, nobody can have an identical Qi signature with another person.


    "The reason for this isplex, but I''ll give a simple reason to exin this. This worldly energy we absorb, they resonate with our spirit when we channel them through our body. No single person is identical to another. Why would our Qi be identical?


    "Meridians, channels, these are all imaginary lines for practitioners to cycle more efficiently. Even without a proper way, one can umte Qi if they keep at it for decades. We''re built like this. We pollute the natural energy within our body with our blood and spirit and then condense it to make it our own.


    "Practitioners are pretty terrible creatures. Even the spirit arts we practise dictate us to take things by force. It''s pretty easy to get used to it." Gale sighed. "Now, did all this quench your curiosity even a little?"


    "Somewhat," Xiaolin said truthfully.


    Gale patted her on the head. "These are the type of questions that wouldn''t let me sleep when I first started practising spirit arts."


    "That must have been over a century ago," Wang Li didn''t forget to glib in. "Isn''t that correct, oh great master?"


    "Actually, no," Gale said and turned to his disciple. "I started prettyte. Hmm, I was about Xiaolin''s age when I started, and it had been about six years in your calendar."


    "What?!" his disciple eximed, standing up.


    "That''s outrageous," Wang Li said. "You want me to believe that you became a master in six years?"


    "No, I started practising script art a littlete," Gale said with a smile. "It took me four years, to be honest."


    Wang Li glowered at him, while his disciple stared at him in a new light, full of admiration.


    "I''m not saying all this to demotivate you," Gale said, staring at both Wang Li and Xiaolin, "but the other way around.


    "I came to this world with nothing, naked, with notent talent for spirit arts, and in the most terrible situation, you can dream of. I didn''t have talent like yours Xiaolin, to my merits or demerits, nor had I managed a perfect fusion with my first fate-lock. But what I had was boundless curiosity and a will to live.


    "Although you two had suffered, and got your heart broken, believe me when I say this: it isn''t toote. There''s still time for you to rise up and do things you can be proud of. Nobody will give you what you want, you have to take it for yourself. In the end, all will depend on the path you choose.


    "Talent, potential, wealth, all these are good, but you won''t go far if you don''t have the perseverance to follow through."

 Chapter 79 077 Qi Dynamics (4)

    ?"Why are you with us again?" Gale asked the woman who was cradling her baby in herp.


    "What?" Wang Li raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with my presence? If so, you shouldn''t have agreed to Grandma when she proposed letting mee with you."


    Gale grunted and didn''t bother to reply. Yes, he had agreed with Wang Li joining them, thinking Xiaolin wouldn''t feel alone being the only woman in the vicinity.


    "What?" But Wang Li was in the mood to not let it go. She asked, giving a meaningful look, nudging Xiaolin on the shoulder. "Did my presence foil your n?"


    Gale replied with an annoyed expression. "At least, you can help Xiaolin recover quicker with your Life Qi," he said. "I''m going to use youpletely and leave you utterly spent, just you watch."


    "Uh, that''s not a very nice thing to say to ady."


    "Fine, you''ll use your entire stay in the kitchen making nutritious, Life Qi-filled meals for us."


    "That''s a bit better," Wang Li snorted. She stopped cradling, finding Rong''er already asleep in herp. "For the records, you still haven''t given me your cookbook and you can''t ask too much from me."


    "You want the cookbook," Gale said, "Alright, let me look."


    He closed his eyes and poured his senses into the void lock. It didn''t take long for him to find a bunch of notebooks stacked together near his bookshelves. Gale brought all of them out, as he couldn''t distinguish them at all.


    Over a dozen stacks of notebooks hit the ground of the carriage in the next moment.


    "Wait a minute," Gale said and searched through the contents of the notebook. Most of them were notebooks that he used a long time ago. He didn''t even add anything to the cookbook for over a year.


    "This is written in an unfamiliarnguage," Xiaolin said, opening one of the books.


    "Give me that," Gale said, recognising that one as his diary, written entirely in English.


    "What is this?" Wang Li asked with another one open in her palm. She read with a frown. " ''I don''t know themon tongue very well.'' . . . ''Nice to meet you.'' . . . ''Can you teach me how to do it?'' . . ." Wang Li had an incredulous expression on her face. "What are all these?"


    "Oh, that one is from when I was still trying to learn themon tongue," Gale said as he sized the notebooks from their grasp and stored them back into the void lock after checking their contents. He finally got the cookbook after returning six books to the dimension storage.


    He handed the cookbook to Wang Li and stored all the other books. "That is the one you''re looking for. Thankfully, I wrote it in themon tongue."


    "Master, didn''t all practitioners use the same tongue?" Xiaolin asked, peeking at the cookbook in her elder sister''s hand.


    "Probably not, but they all know themon tongue."


    "There is still foreign text in it," Wang Li said, showing him a page where Gale had written notes in English.


    "It''s just for me not to mess with the terms," Gale said. "You don''t need to read those."


    Wang Li nodded and started to read from the beginning. There were clear details on how to use Qi on different types of ingredients. There were details on all kinds of ingredients, from vegetables, fruits, oil, and spirit herbs to different kinds of meats.


    "This is going to be very useful," she muttered.


    "A good woman would''ve thanked me by now."


    Wang Li lifted her head to give him a charming smile. "Thank you, Young Master Gale Joseph Paul Carpenter."


    Gale pursed his lips in disapproval.


    "By the way, where did you manage to get all these recipes?"


    "Some of them, I meticulously learned from some inns, some I literally stole, watching Master chefs at work. While most are experiments on recreating and improving foods, I liked most."


    "You seem to like this hamburger thing very much," Wang Li said. "I already found a dozen pages over this."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale smiled as the carriage rolled down the path. It would still take them a couple of hours to reach Stormhold. A couple of hours for nothing else to do. Well, Gale could cycle his Qi, and Wang Li was busy with the cookbook, but his disciple had nothing to do.


    Well, she could meditate too, but she already spent a lot of energy on her training in the morning. It didn''t hurt to try, and it seemed like she wanted to continue too. . .


    "Linlin, do you need any books to read?"


    His disciple shook her head with a contemtive look. "Master, if it''s not too personal for you to answer," she asked, instead, "then please tell me why did you start practising spirit artte?"


    It seemed like she still held onto what he said during their morning training and pondered over it.


    "Circumstances," Gale said, "I literally had no options."


    That didn''t seem to quench Xiaolin''s curiosity even a little. She sucked in a deep breath and collected all her courage to ask: "Master, can you tell me stories of your adventure if it is not too rude to ask? How you became what you are today in such a short time, I would like to know it all."


    Gale lifted his head. Nobody had yet asked him for his stories yet. Many had asked about his world after learning he was from an alternate dimension, but most people hardly had any curiosity about his struggle. Everyone was busy with their own thing.


    "What good will it do even if you learn it," he said, atst.


    "Maybe she will write a story out of it and publish it," Wang Li said with augh. "Who knows? Perhaps you can be famous like Lord Heartme, or Sage of the Nine Moon."


    "It is us and our deeds that be our story," Gale snorted. "The story didn''t be us."


    "Then perhaps you haven''t done much to make your story famous," Wang Li added straightforwardly.


    "Elder sister," Xiaolin bit her lips, turning to Wang Li. Her look said how can she be so audacious to a Master?


    "Nah, it''s alright," Gale said, leaning back in his seat. "She probably found that aggravating me is the best way to get a response."


    "Was I right?" Wang Li smiled brilliantly.


    Gale snorted and turned to his disciple. "You want my tale?" he asked. His disciple nodded heavily. "Fine, I''ll tell you for all the good I have done to your world and all the good it did me."


    He turned his head towards the older woman. "You said I hadn''t done much, and you''re probably right, but very few managed to do what I did and still stood back again.


    "I''ll give you my story, but be warned. If you''re looking for a myth, you''ve thoroughly mistaken. I''m just as bit a man as both of you. Although I have more names than most people. My mother named me Gale, and now I wondered if she had the foresight to know the storm I''ll bring.


    "The people of the southernnd chose the name "Caizer". Depending on the way it''s spoken, it can mean, "The Crownless King", or "The Homeless Fool."


    "I''m both. A fool and a King, but I abandoned both years ago. There have been many other names. Gale the sphemer. The Heretic. Gale the Last Protector. Gale the Stormbrigher and many more. However, what struck with me was the name I was brought up with, the name my mother had given me.


    "Gale. It is like there is electricity in the name itself. In case you''re wondering, it means, "a very strong wind". A force of nature.


    "And my life is like the wind, too. If the wind stops, what will be left of it. . . The wreckage it brought down in its path.


    "I have blown away ces that tried to confine me. I have given up power that can make the strongest of men tremble. Iid down my life multiple times, unaware of what I was there to prove. I doomed thousands and saved millions, and that still keeps me awake at the night.


    "I bore scars very few can imagine, loved women, very few had the gall to talk, and tread paths with chaosfiends.


    "And I''m still standing."


    ___________


    This chapter needs more polishing.

 Chapter 80 078 Gale Of The Beginning (1)

    ?If you want to know my story, then you must first know I''m one of the very few Outworlders. No, not those angels that dawned from heaven to dictate divine decree, obviously. Not of the Celestial Radiance, either. Well, my exterior was a big giveaway.


    I was just one of those poor saps that got thrust into your world when an out-of-control practitioner screwed around with higher-dimensionalws.


    "What?" Both women leaned forward in rm, not understanding what I meant by all this.


    "Hush now," I told them, "don''t interrupt when a storyteller is speaking."


    Well, I''m hardly a storyteller, but I deserved. . . needed their silence and uninterrupted attention to carry on with this. Both women shut their mouths as I leaned back in my seat, head slightly upwards in a contemtive mood.


    To know my story, we must begin from the beginning. You''ll understand everything as we go deeper.


    My story. . . never have I imagined I''d share this with someone. So my story started with me being thrown into prison. No, it was before that. It was when Iid my eyes on the magic of this world. But that wasn''t the beginning either, and much of that time needed to be exined, too.


    The farthest I can remember from the beginning was of me convulsing on the cold floor of some underground facility,plicity oblivious of what transpired. What I got myself into.


    These weren''t those ''school'' pranks where bullies try to pick on you? Wait, do you guys know what''s a ''school''?


    It was kinda like a prison, but instead of staying there forever, we have to go there almost every day in the morning, and until a certain time I couldn''t go out. We have teachers in ce of wardens, who would try to teach us many things and ask us to do many things.


    It''s a terribleparison, but you get the point.


    Anyway, back to the story.


    My body waspletely torn, muscles split, sipping out blood all over my body, and even my bones were cranking at every slight movement. I could barely squirm and feel the few men surrounding my body, watching over me with a contemtive mood, nobodying to help.


    I squirmed louder, trying to get their attention, but all I managed from them was some squeak of displeasure.


    They didn''t even bat an eye on my poor condition. I learned clearly why they were like that shortly. There was blood in the air, pungent air stuffed in the closed room. They had been cooking up something terrible.


    My blood ran cold.


    One of the men in the back shouted, but I couldn''t understand what he said, or whatnguage it was. A few secondster, a couple ofbourers came and carried me out of the room through the unfriendly stares of those men.


    I was elected to get out of the stuffy room, but outside was no better either. It was all dark or dimly lit stone corridors. The atmosphere was boiling with no fresh air to breathe. Those men carried me to a cell-like room and fed me water. They poured water on my face, totally uncaring if I drank or not.


    People treat animals better than that.


    But I drank the water as much as I could as a cool feeling spread to my chest, to my burning figure. I didn''t know if it had relieved my pain, but I was relieved. Somewhat.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Then those men made me drink something else. It was a small vial full of blue liquid. I had a bad feeling about this the moment Iid my sight upon it. Those men''s eyes were impassive as if just doing what they were told.


    I tried to be as unamodating as I could be, but the clutches of those men were iron strong, and I''m barely alive.


    One of them held me together in ce, staring at me coldly. He said something and seemed to know I could not understand him, but the cruelty in his eyes sipped my blood cold.


    They punched me a couple of times in the face and broke a couple of fingers until I opened my mouth for them to pour in the liquid. I was going to die, anyway. Why bother making it more painful?


    Yet, deep inside, I still held a little hope to keep living on. These men were terribly strong. They wouldn''t need poison or anything simr to kill me. Why even bother? Even if they had thrown me out of there, I couldn''t survive more than a couple of days with the wounds I bore.


    Unlike the water, they were a bit better at feeding me the blue liquid. It was icy cold to gulp down as if liquid nitrogen had been poured on my lips. My internal system burned in icy agony as my face turned red.


    I squirmed on the ground, my tattered clothes barely holding on as I screamed at the top of my lungs. Excruciating pain took over me and I couldn''t wait to die.


    However, that was not all. Something weird happened. My torn-up skin started to heal at an rming rate. My split muscles were barely sore after a while. Even my mangled bones got better, though I was still not in any condition to stand up.


    I tried to straighten the fingers that these men broke. They healed up too, as I could feel the terribly burning indignation spread through me was healing me.


    I was aghast at thispletely ludicrous situation.


    Not only had I woken up to apletely torn body on the verge of dying, but to apletely foreign situation where people didn''t bat an eye on anyone dying.


    ''This would surely turn out to be a nightmare,'' I thought back then, and I was right.


    Even though my body healed up, I acted in pain as the two men that brought me into this room were still present.


    They discussed something between them, ignoring me for a while until they put a chain on my neck and left.


    ________________


    The shback chapters will be written in 1st person as Gale was telling all this to Wang Li and Xiaolin or someone else. Also, don''t expect to get all of his past in a single instalment. I''ll divide them between all the volumes as the story would work on two timelines.


    I nned to make the shbacks no more than 10 - 15% of the story. That should be a healthy chunk in contrast to the current timeline.


    Comment to let me know how this chapter turns out to be.

 Chapter 81 079 Gale Of The Beginning (2)

    ?I was able to stand up after only a couple of hours, although my mind was still fussy about the incredulity of the situation.


    All of this felt too surreal to me. This couldn''t be right. I had considered multiple times that I was going nuts, but none of those could save me from those men. My captors.


    I wasn''t, of course, locked up just as honeybees weren''t locked up in the apiary. Well, my situation was worse. At least, honeybees weren''t beaten to a pulp every once in a while.


    They hadn''t locked me up, but they hadn''t given me freedom either. Of course, after healing up, I would try to look for a way out, or at least move to understand the situation better.


    So, after those men didn''te back even after a couple of hours of my healing up, I collected all my courage to creep out of the stone room. I was like a cat, barely making a sound, and even managed to move a couple of kilometres easily with no one''s notice, but all I found were stones.


    It was a magnificent structure in the sense of its sheer range. I was definitely one of thosebyrinths with maze-like builds. It was too easy to get lost. I certainly had no clue where I was going.


    I understood full well why they hadn''t locked me up. Because they were fully aware, there was no way for me to escape.


    But in no way, I would ept that without trying. I moved around for hours, barefooted, in my tattered clothes, with the new ornament on my neck. The chain was stuck to my neck like lice. I couldn''t make it budge, no matter how much I struggled with it.


    The boiling atmosphere wasn''t making it any bit easier, either. I was like I was beside a freaking volcano.


    My mind contemted many times that all this was a dream, a fabrication of my imagination. Only a nightmare. Everything would be alright after I woke up. A littleter, I would wake up, and I would find myself on my familiar bed.


    But what I found were those terrible men. I ran at the very sight of them, but they came out of nowhere like an Olympian sprinter and captured me.


    They beat me ck and blue for defying their unsaid order. It wasn''t as bad as how my muscles were split and bones were mangled before, of course, but it was certainly a treatment I would never want to revisit.


    They beat me to their heart''s consent and left me in one of those identical rooms where I was left before. I groaned, trying to fall asleep on the floor with all my wounds, until another figure entered the room.


    The neer made me drink something simr to the blue healing liquid. It wasn''t as potent as the other one they fed me before, but it did patch me up well in two hours. All of this was a miracle because the beating I got was enough to keep me in bed for weeks, yet only after a couple of hours, I was ready to move again. And escape.


    You would probably think a normal man would think better and refrain from trying to escape after such an experience. But you forgot, I was a fool and wasn''t thinking straight. I couldn''t wait to get out of this hellish ce.


    But that wasn''t the real hell, definitely not, considering what I went through after that.


    So I continued on my fool''s errand to escape from the undergroundbyrinth. Every time, I managed to run a couple of kilometres, until those men found me. They would go on with their usual round of beating me up and leaving me in the cell, never locking up.


    The usual stranger woulde after that and heal me up with the healing potion or something.


    I thought multiple times they had some purpose behind all this, though I was fully aware that the chances of them being sadistic assholes were way higher.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So my errand trying to escape the hellishbyrinth began. I would try a couple of times every day and those men would find me both of those times, beat me up and leave me to be healed up to try again.


    They werepletely confident I would crack at some point. No mortal could take his bones breaking, muscles spasming and skin tearing every day and continue. They were mostly right.


    But they weren''t aware. I was one hell of a bastard.


    I wasn''t just running around hoping to escape from the endlessbyrinth. Every time I went out, I took special care to know where I was going, mark the path I was taking and where it would lead.


    Slowly and agonisingly, a frame of a map pieced together in my brain. I didn''t have the courage to put it into something else for fear of them finding out. They would definitely do something to make all my progress null.


    It was on my thirteenth try, I managed to learn how to avoid those sadistic bastards. Most of the time, they would catch me at a certain juncture, or around somewhere near. Most of the time they would carry around managed men like how I was on the first day.


    Most of the time, they were carrying mangled corpses. Not everyone was lucky enough to be alive after how they brought us here.


    I tried my best to avoid those men, even though many of the paths lead in that direction.


    After that, they certainly had to spend some energy to find me and that affected how they would treat me during the beating. Of course, I had grown some tolerance for their beating after getting torn up constantly for a week.


    But these sadistic assholes always came up with something to make me feel new things. All was good, but I hated that bastard to the core that always hit me in the balls. I would tear his eyes out, cut his manhood and make him eat it if I had my chances.


    Oops, getting excited, aren''t we? Anyway, I''ll refrain from using vulgar words in my narrative from now on.


    Anyway, it wasn''t only in my escape that I progressed; I managed to learn the names of my captors. There were a few of them, but I only managed to guess three of them through their talking.


    Rips was the most terrible of them. He always tried to hit me in the balls, no matter how hard I try to protect my jewels. Kiln liked to hit me in the face. For the record, his own face was a mess, burned to the point of the ugliest thing in the world. There was a story for him to be this sadistic.


    Thest one of them was a kinder man. It was the stranger that would feed me those potions to heal me up. He was called Theodore, or Thedor. . . something simr.


    Anyway, they had a name for me too. "Bardi Tuon fi". You know what that means, right?


    "Failure 309," it was his disciple who answered.


    ___________


    I''m fast-forwarding the torture arc here, and bringing more interesting parts soon.

 Chapter 82 080 Gale Of The Beginning (3)

    ?My n to avoid the sadistic bastards didn''t work well. If you think more carefully, you could understand why.


    First of all, I''m their captive. Even if they hadn''t locked me up, they wouldn''t want me getting out of here. Secondly, there were hardly any more freshly captured captives every day. Whatever experiment those men were pulling, they couldn''t bring out alive men every day.


    So, their duties weren''t much. Taking care of the security where they were terriblyx. If it weren''t for their sheer confidence, I would have already tried to escape for real.


    Of course, they would have ways to find me, even if I secure the most effective way out. This was their yground, after all.


    So the only way I could over-smart them was by ying dumb. They would certainly put me through something special if they had to spend time and energy to look for me. That''s why I y dumb on my first run every day and get caught pretty early. I got my share of beatings and handled it pretty well. Well, if you could say taking broken bones and knockout punches to the face easy, that was.


    It was quite masochistic to admit it, but when you look forward to getting beaten up, it hurts a little less. Or perhaps my pain tolerance was growing, getting beaten up every day.


    Another thing I remember of my time there was that, there was another person like me there, in a room a few kilometres away. If I hadn''t travelled far, I wouldn''t have noticed him. His name was Bardi Tuon sai.


    Failure 302.


    I wanted to see if we speak the samenguage or not. However, unlike me, he didn''t try to run away every day and try his best to not get beaten up.


    When I sneaked into his room to speak to him, it turned out he did speak mynguage, but his head wasn''t in the right ce to think clearly. All he did was scream the moment he discovered.


    "Go Away! Please, I won''t run. I promise!" he repeated all those words, screaming.


    Well, that wasn''t productive at all. Finally, I found someone who spoke my tongue, and that person turned out to be insane.


    Anyway, after finishing my spree of punishment, I would recover in time to have another go to the maze. On this run, I would go far, escaping from the gazes of all the workers. On some rare asions, I felt a sense of freedom too, but deep down, I was aware it was nothing but a misconception.


    Of course, I couldn''t run away like this. Even if I mapped out over ten kilometres within ten days, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of thebyrinth. It was nearly endless, with confusing routes. Each of them looked about the same.


    Even my brain was muddled to keep the information correct in my mind. I was aware I wouldn''t be able to keep up like this for long. Even if my body recovered after ingesting the potion, there was fatigue building in my body and mind, bringing me closer to the brink of insanity every day.


    Even if I kept my sanity, I knew if I kept getting my bones broken and muscles torn every day, I would be aplete mess in another work or two.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It wouldn''t be long until I would be like Tuon Sai.


    No, that wasn''t his name. I don''t know his name. But I knew my name. I''m Gale. Not some failure. No matter what they were nning to do to me.


    I first thought those sadistic bastards had some purpose of beating me up and healing me up. Well, even if there was none, they should be doing this to break my spirit. But for what, exactly? So that they can beat me every day like this?


    Well, this murkybyrinth was a ce that could easily bring out the worst in men. They were probably insane and couldn''t control their urges.


    I really didn''t want to stay there for another minute. So I made my n. I couldn''t just hope someone would be there to help me when I was out. Who knows? They probably had guards on the outside.


    So, I made a n to steal the uniform of one of those men. After securing a uniform, I need to do something about the chain on my neck. That was the worst giveaway.


    So, for my n to seed, I need to choose my opponent very carefully. The men that beat me up every day were profoundly strong. I couldn''t hope to win against them in a fair fight, or even in an unfair fight.


    So I decided on the most vulnerable opponent I could find. Theodore, the elderly man who fed me recovery potion every day, was my only option where I could see myself winning. He was one of the few that hadn''t used violence on me. Well, at least not more than necessary. Yet, I don''t feel any bit bad for selecting him.


    I had no sharp weapon, but I managed to find a few stones I could hide with me. They were not that great of a weapon, but could easily kill a man if hit at the right spot.


    I wouldn''t mind being a killer if I could get out of this ce. I told myself that the whole night before the eventful day.


    My n was pretty simple. Obviously, I didn''t have the mental capacity or the resources to make anything broad or thoughtful. However, on most asions, you overlook the simplest thing. That was my n. And that I was hoping.


    Here my weapon was looking weak. I was powerless against these men, and I wanted to use that fact against them.


    A tiger didn''t chase after a rat with its full force. That was what I was hoping.


    ______________


    I could''ve made it more interesting, but then I had to broaden the sequence. I don''t want that currently. That''s why I try to make the narration smooth and yful at times.

 Chapter 83 081 Gale Of The Begining (4)

    ?On the day I acted on my n, I went on my walk like any regr day, but unlike most days, I didn''t get captured easily.


    Instead, I chose a lonely corner and bruised myself all over. I made it so that my skin looked red easily with blood smeared all over. For that, I only cut a part of my waist and smeared the blood all over the bruises to make the wounds look more real and terrible. I punched myself in the face a few times, imprinting them as Kiln''s work.


    I''ve had enough experience already to know how to look right when you''re wounded like that every day. When I was satisfied with my preparation, I limped my way out towards the direction of my room. Theodore was around there usually.


    I didn''t need to look at the most pitiable thing before his eyes, but just a usual pitiable fellow. I was pretty sure this Oldman had dealt with dozens of my kind that had been kidnapped to this underground facility.


    Well, I''m one like them, pitiful and powerless.


    So I came before the elderly man, limping all the way, squirming at every motion. I found him staring at me, but I ignored him as if I hadn''t seen him, or was beaten so badly that I couldn''t see clearly.


    Theodore clicked his tongue, watching me limp towards one corner. He strode towards me, muttering something under his breath.


    I fell on the floor before I could reach the corner and yelped. I rolled on the ground pitifully, trying to crawl forward, weeping with my best performance to date.


    But my mind was a total mess with anxiety.


    ''This isn''t going to work.'' My mind was filled with negative thoughts. This old man had seen plenty of the likes of me. He could easily see through my acting.


    I was horrified at the notion of my failure, but I still kept at it. My ears buzzed with each step the old man was taking towards me.


    He came before me like another day and didn''t act any kinder than usual. He brought one of those blue vials out of his robes and shook it in his palm.


    Turns out I was worried about nothing. The Oldman was exactly as he looked, much to my benefit. Old and dull. He wasn''t nearly sharp enough to catch my y.


    Theodore stooped down, opened the vial, and was about to pour it in my mouth when I leapt at him with everything I had. Well, with my pitiable strength and a somewhatrger-than-a-fist-sized stone in my palm.


    I rammed the stone into his head with all my power, my knee thrusting into his guts.


    I didn''t know what I struck, but it felt like I hit the stem of a tree. But Theodore wasn''t out of any reaction. He yelped as blood poured out of his head from where I hit him with the stone.


    The potion had already flung away from his hand in the conflict, but that wasn''t his concern. I was hitting him with the stone incessantly, with no second thought.


    None other than my freedom.


    Like I said, I wouldn''t mind bing a killer if I could get out of this hell.<novelnext></novelnext>


    However, I was terribly na?ve to believe that I could escape from here like this. I didn''t have the slightest clue where I was, nor who and what these people were. Yes, they had introduced to me magical items like the potion that could heal broken bones easily, but I wasn''t in the right state of mind to consider they had something more.


    On my fifth attempt to hit the Oldman with the stone, I encountered something hard. It was as if I had rammed the stone into the stone wall. I realised nothing at first and continued to hit the Oldman, but as I continued, the reaction from the Oldman became mute.


    My first impression was that I made it. I killed the oldman. I became a killer.


    Then finally I saw his eyes, zing with coldness as he stared down at me even though I was on top of him.


    The next moment, I was in the air. An invisible force struck me and flung me dozens of metres, convulsing me inside. My world tilted as my back broke, colliding against the wall with force.


    The invisible force hadn''t withdrawn, though. It fastened me to the spot. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn''t lift even a finger.


    The Oldman stood up and cleaned his robes to creep towards me. He had changed back to his usual self, though the eyes were still cold, gawking at me.


    "La ama soarishka," the old man told me and kicked me on the head to make me unconscious.


    So that''s how my first real attempt at escape went. You two probably thought I would manage something miraculous using my otherworldly wit or something.


    But the reality was merciless. I didn''t evene close. All my effort at getting beaten up and memorising the paths meant nothing against the sheer force I was stuck with.


    In a way, life was like that. You try your best with what you have and hope it will work. Sometimes you made it, sometimes you hit the hall.


    Even ignoring the marvellous power the Oldman showed me¡ªthe power I still thought to be impossible at that point¡ªmy n was terribly hollow.


    Even if I killed the Oldman there, I wouldn''t have gone much further.


    I was a child back then, ying on the turf and the rules of adults. Worse, I wasn''t even aware of most of the rules.


    Of course, they would leave me like amb to butcher. With the sheer power they held, I was but a helpless rat to them.


    However, this suffering wasn''t for nothing. That was the first time I gazed upon the power of this world. It was unbelievable.


    I couldn''t understand it, but I knew at that moment I wanted it for myself.

 Chapter 84 082 Settling In (1)

    ?"..."


    The two women stared at him, probably wondering why Gale stopped right at the climax of his escape. Well, he had been at it for over an hour now and the story had progressed from the underground facility to the mines, where he had to work as a ve.


    The story was just getting exciting with him finally managing to cycle Qi, when he stopped, getting something through the link between him and Vale.


    "It seems something''s going on in Stormhold," Gale muttered, knitting his brows.


    "Master. . ." Xiaolin''s voice trailed off. "You want to rush there quickly?"


    "Nah, it''s alright," Gale replied. Even if he wanted to rush there using Stormsong, he couldn''t just leave these two women on their own. Not long ago, he had been attacked by bandits on this path. "Vale had taken care of it already."


    Besides, it wouldn''t be long before they reach Stormhold.


    Xiaolin remained silent, with a contemtive expression for a while. Obviously, she wanted to hear more of his story. Wanted to know how he escaped/ The older woman was just about the same with a knit in her brows.


    "We''ll have all the time for my storytellingter," Gale said with a smile. "But in case you''re wondering what happened, the living-breathing spoiler is just before your eyes."


    Xiaolin pouted.


    "Curious," Wang Li said instead, "why are you yful like that in your storytelling, joking about all kinds of stuff, even in the most terrible situation? Some of them were things I don''t even understand. They were probably something unique to the world you''re from."


    "That was just my brilliant sense of humour," Gale said with a broad smile. "Not everyone can stomach it. Besides, I think the story would be tremendously boring without your big brother Gale''s pinch of humour."


    Wang Li snorted. "You probably used those weird terms to confuse us."


    Gale smiled. She was mostly wrong there. "I like to talk about my homeworld sometimes," he said. "It wasn''t always that I could share my thoughts."


    "Your world? What is it like?


    "It''s way more tamed than this one. In case you forgot, my world had no magic," Gale said. "Or even if we had it, it is extremely low in amount. At least I have never heard of anyone having a superpower, save for in the cinemas."


    "See that? You''re doing it again."


    Gale chuckled.


    "What about that Jesus fellow?" Xiaolin asked. "You seem to like to curse him a lot."


    Gale almost choked. A frown appeared on his brows shortly.


    "Jesus had some miraculous powers," Gale said. "Nothing too broad, though, in the scope of your world. Walking on water, healing people, making wine just out of the water, these were something any expert silver ranker could do. He must have been hiding his powers.


    "There was another fellow who had divided the sea. That''s something I''m not even sure if a Sage could aplish. You would probably need a sovereign for that."


    "I don''t know if you''re joking or being serious," Wang Li said.


    "I''m jokingly serious, or seriously joking," Gale said with augh. "Thetter doesn''t work, so the former."


    "Master, didn''t you say your world has no magic power or extremely low in volume that normal people couldn''t umte Qi?" Xiaolin asked. "Then how could people like those you mention exist?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "They don''t exist now," Gale said. "These events were thousands of years ago. That''s all we know now."


    "Thousands of years ago?" Xiaolin frowned. "Back then, we used to have gods too."


    "You, I, nobody can be sure of that," Gale said. "Obviously, there is concrete proof of their existence in history and through the deeds, they left behind. But where are they now?"


    "In the divine realm," Xiaolin answered automatically.


    "Bah," Gale scoffed. "So they don''t care about this world anymore, huh? Well, if I were a god, I wouldn''t care about you people, considering what atrocities you have brought upon your realm."


    "That''s very petty of you to me everyone for the nasty few," Wang Li said.


    "Well, it''s probably for the best that there''s no god."


    "How can you be so certain of that, master?" Xiaolin asked. "Don''t all practitioners have a chance of ascending if they reach the end of it?"


    "Sure, but I don''t know anyone ever can reach there," Gale said and turned to Wang Li. "Your distant cousin''s mum is one of the fewest people closest to ascending, but she was at it for thousands of years."


    Wang Li frowned as realisation dawned upon her. "You mean the Sun n Matriarch? That''s Sun Ziang''s mother?" Wang Li''s expression was incredulous. But the more she remembered the looks of her cousin, the fairer this being the truth got. "What is he even doing in our town?"


    "Archaeological studies," Gale answered.


    "Again, I don''t know if you''re serious or joking."


    "That''s just my charm," Gale amused himself. "I personally think most practitioners of spirit arts are boring andck a good sense of humour. They are like: cycle Qi in a cave for tens of years, then go back to the people that wronged you and call yourself a daddy and beat all of them up. I mean, these people are profoundly old. Can you believe them acting like this?


    "Linlin, as your master, I personally advise you to never go into seclusion training. It can only make you delusional in the best case."


    Xiaolin nodded heavily as Gale said all that in a serious tone. Whereas Wang Li just rolled her eyes.


    "Anyway, back to the theological debate. I have a question for you, my dear disciple. Ponder over it when you have free time and has nothing to do. Remember, there''s no wrong answer."


    "What''s the question, Master?"


    "Can you kill a god?"


    "Of course, I can''t," Xiaolin said immediately. "I cannot even kill a thing."


    "Oops, that''s very stupid of me. Let me rephrase the question again." Gale stared at her seriously for the question to have some weight. These kinds of questions are quite necessary to have a broad mind in the martial world.


    "Are gods kible?"


    _________


    Still missing 2 reviews . . .

 Chapter 85 083 Settling In (2)

    ?Gale could feel the change in the atmosphere the moment the carriage stopped before Stormhold. Although it was all silent there, Gale could sense the natural energy flow in disarray, as if some exceptional battle took ce here.


    That seemed to be the case as Gale found a good portion of his field in total waste, with burned crops, and thend in devastation.


    "Woof!" His eyes moved towards the small white spot running towards him from afar. Gale noticed a bunch of wounded people bound nearer the house, too. The workers hadn''te to work yet, thankfully.


    Vale lunged at him after reaching them and started to lick him in the face. After done with him, he moved to Xiaolin and rubbed himself on her.


    "Doggie," Rong''er, who woke up from his sleep, said in glee and wanted to leap out of his mother''s grasp.


    Gale turned to Wang Li, who had a contemtive expression, wondering about the wreckage around here.


    "It''s safe now," he said, and only then did the woman let go of her child as Rong''er literally jumped at Vale.


    The two little boys ran after one another before Gale confronted Vale. "What happened, boy?"


    Vale tilted his head and gestured towards the injured men bound near the house. "Ouu auu, ou ou, woof!" Vale lunged up in a ferocious action as if telling them what he did with them. "Rwrr, WOOF!"


    Gale chuckled. "These people wanted to destroy our house, and you beat them up," Gale said as Vale woofed another time. Gale caressed his buddy. "Good job."


    "Ouu aau."


    After leaving the two women and the child to Vale''s care, Gale crept towards the wounded men with a heavy heart. He hadn''t thought that the worthless young master would pull up anything after the lesson he taught that day. At least the shadowy assassin Han Xiao had on his back should have some wit to help him understand the scope of things.


    But apparently not.


    There were six practitioners in total. Two silver rankers and four iron rankers¡ªan extravagant force for this town, to be honest. Looks like the reach of the Han n was broader than he expected. Then again, he couldn''t imagine people leaving Han Xiao with the leash of these practitioners.


    He was petty and easy to aggravate. Nobody could and should take him seriously.


    Anyway, these men. Most of them bore bite marks or impact from Vale''s tackle. But Gale noticed a couple of them bearing dagger cuts on their ribs and waist.


    A frown appeared on his brows as he considered the situation, looking around the surroundings.


    Of course, Vale could use a knife if he liked, gritting it with his teeth, but that''s profoundly inefficient. And Vale wasn''t the type of spirit beast that would like to adopt the human way. If he were like that, he would''ve morphed into human form at hisst breakthrough.


    "What will you do with them?" Wang Li asked. Her face bore concerns over the state of the situation. Although his disciple was ying with Rong''er and Vale, her eyes were in their direction, worried.


    "I caught another of them a couple of weeks ago," Gale said. "I handed him to the enforcers'' office. He''s probably free by now with some restrictions on his movement and warnings. If I handed these lots to the enforcers again, then this thing would never stop."


    "You don''t really want to eliminate them, do you?" she asked, eyes widening.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Killing them? Nah," Gale said. "Do you know how many resources you need to cultivate silver rankers? True, it will hurt them to lose a couple of silver rankers, but that isn''t the answer I would like to give them. Not now, at the very least"


    "And what is your answer?"


    "Of course, my answer is very, just as it always has been," Gale said,ughing brightly. "I might not look like it, but I''m a big contriver of very. Only through envement can you understand the teaching it gives to people."


    Wang Li gave him a sceptical stare.


    "In case you''re wondering, it''s a joke." Gale chuckled. "Though I''m not joking about putting them on a leash and getting them to work."


    "Wouldn''t that aggravate them more?" Wang Li asked, evident worry in her expression.


    "Probably, but do I look like I care?" Gale snorted.


    He would like to see what they would do. Send more people after him? He would put all of them on leashes and use them against them.


    He wasn''t a child ying on the rules of an adult anymore. These people had no clue what kind of hellish situation he had to go through to be here. Nothing they could do could surprise him.


    "Anyway, you guys go settle in the house while I take care of them."


    Wang Li nodded as she brought Linlin and Rong''er with them. Gale sent Vale with them just in case.


    Then he turned his attention to the unconscious wounded men. Although they were bleeding, their superior healing factor was already working.


    ''Looks like I need to make some ve cor again,'' he mused and felt a presence behind him.


    "I was wondering when you''ll reveal yourself," Gale said, not looking back.


    Twilight was in her usual gothic look and eerie presence. The dark cloak covered her entirely save for the purple eyes, standing aloof a respectful distance away.


    "Did you help Vale with goodwill," Gale asked, finally turning towards her, "or should I need to rpense you?"


    "Goodwill," Twilight said, eventually.


    "Were you spying here again, or just around and felt the disturbance?" Gale asked again, knitting his brows.


    "I''m free for themission you mentioned," she said, ying aloof. "I noticed your bonded beast fighting from afar and decided to help, even though he was holding himself well."


    "Well, thank you for that," Gale said. Even if Vale could deal with these lots, he would wreck the field in the process. Whereas Twilight was the right person to do something silently. She had dealt with a silver rank personally, or else he would have to refurbish half of the things.

 Chapter 86 084 Settling In (3)

    ?Gale blinked at the two women as they had been seated at the table for a while now without any word. With everything that happened, the atmosphere would''ve been terribly serious. However, Vale and Rong''er racing encircling the table rendered most of their anxiety away for the moment.


    "So what should we talk about?" Gale asked, eventually. "Want to have a tour of the barely built mansion?


    "Shouldn''t the topic be about those injured men that disappeared after we entered the house?" Wang Li asked, knitting her brows.


    "Youdies don''t need to worry about that," Gale said. "It already had been taken care of."


    "Where did you leave them?"


    "It''s a secret," Gale said with a smile.


    Wang Li sighed. "Will this ce be secure for us to live in?" she couldn''t help but ask. "You know, Linlin didn''t abandon this ce without reason."


    The human density was extremely low, as most of the areas around here were farnd. The closest was the Shens, and that too was almost four lis away. Nobody would notice if anything went amiss here. Wang Li had a reason to be worried.


    "As long as you''re near me and Vale, you''re in the most secure ce in this town," Gale said simply, addressing their fears. Not to mention, there would be a sneaky, ghostly person watching over them when he was busy with other things. They were the most secure here.


    Gale hadn''t told them anything about Twilight, even after employing her for about a week. Well, considering how ufortable it would be learning someone was sneaking behind you most of the time, it was something Gale decided to leave unsaid.


    Besides, mortals'' life was about dealing with uncertainty. He couldn''t just shelter them from everything, so it''s better for him to leave them space to grow.


    "Now, should we talk about how you two will progress from now on?" Gale said. Getting nods from them, Gale continued, "Of course, Linlin will train her physical body and endurance. With the use of Pure crystals, she finally would be able to get a simr result to a normal person.


    "At the beginning, we''ll do three ten-minute cycling sessions with the influence of pure crystals every day. You might think ten-minute sessions are nothing, but to my calction, Linlin would be left with nothing if she continued cycling under the influence of pure crystals for fifteen minutes.


    "So we''re going to divide the ten-minute session, one in thete morning after your usual training, then in the early afternoon and evening just before the end of the training. Remember, you have absolutely no job other than training during the day. As for the night, no heavy training, save for some simple meditations or readings.


    "I want you to strictly abide by this. Is that understood?"


    Xiaolin nodded heavily. She was still meek andcked even a little courage to refute her Master.


    Gale turned to Wang Li. "Granny asked me to let youe, not just to take care of Linlin," he said. "She wanted for you to pick up a thing or two as well. So, for the remainder of your stay, you and I are going to cook a lot of stuff, and I''ll show you what I can do with Qi. As for the food, they would be mostly your duty as you have Life Qi. They will be most required for Linlin as she will be leftpletely drained after her training.


    "We need to fatten her up so that she won''t look like a malnourished zombie after I''m done with training her."


    Wang Li nodded. "I''ll try my best."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Master, so we start tomorrow?"


    "That''s the n, but for today, we''ll party. We hadn''t celebrated Madam Wang''s perfect fusion yet. Linlin, you can go with Vale to invite the Shens if you like, we''re going to cook something special for the dinner.


    "I''m just going outside to see how things are developing."


    ***


    Gale flew where he told Twilight to bring the injured practitioners from the Han Family. It wasn''t really that far, just over the ridge where he had collected water to irrigate the field. Supposedly, there was a small cave there, and hardly anyone to live in peace.


    It was probably carved by some practitioners, who knew how long ago he had to spend a night here.


    That was where Gale told the ghostly assassin to bring all the wounded men.


    Gale had a n for them. Something that required utmost secrecy and professionalism. So expendablebourers and a professional assassin with autism. Gale got a fine deal there.


    Besides, Shi Fan trusted Twilight with all his treasure. That said something about her honesty and professionalism.


    Honestly, people like that were hard to find in this world. Well, it''s not about the dual spirit and physical body nature, although that was extremely rare too. What Gale was talking about here was her honesty.


    Most people in this world were busy umting strength, they don''t even lift an eyebrow when they take things from others.


    In this way, most practitioners weren''t any better than thieves or robbers. Thankfully, they have those ever-glorious shitty excuses to back their acts even under scrutiny.


    Gale flew directly through the small waterfall to enter the cavern behind it. He found the wounded captive easily, some of them were already woken up, but with Twilight muffling their mouths with clothes, none of them could utter a word.


    Gale didn''t wait to address the captive, but looked around. He wouldn''t always have good luck finding her location if she tried to hide. The only reason Gale was able to find her before was that she let some of her intentions out.


    However, Twilight wasn''t the type of practitioner that made the same mistake easily. As long as she didn''te at him with some intent, Gale would probably never be able to find her.


    Thankfully, she wasn''t employed by the Han family, or he would have to be really alert all the time.


    "Are you going toe on your own, or do I need to find you?"


    ____

 Chapter 87 085 Settling Inn (4)

    ?"Are you going toe on your own, or do I need to find you?" Gale said aloud.


    For several seconds there was no reply until Gale detected the gothic figure appearing near the waterfall. Her purple pupils were like holes in reality as she stared at him stoically.


    ''She must think, she''s very cool with this look,'' Gale mused. ''Well, she''s pretty cool. Even I want a cloak like that.''


    A cloak that sways even in no air? Yes, please. ''No, gotta keep my chuuni tendency inside.''


    "You never chill, do you?" Gale couldn''t help but ask. Of course, he got no response in return. Twilight means business all the time. "Well, it''s for the best for assassins to be Stoic all the time, but is that what you want to be?"


    ". . ."


    Gale clicked his tongue and left it for now. "Anyway, I''m leaving you in charge of these men when I''m not around to look after them," he said. "I won''t be around most of the time, though. So you''ve got theirpany to amuse you."


    Twilight nodded.


    "You understand what I want of them?"


    Twilight shook her head.


    "Theirbour, of course," Gale said. "They are ves at best. But since I''m a benevolent master, I would give them the weekend off toment over their terrible life choices and sorrows."


    Twilight tilted her head and nodded again.


    ''Gosh, even Valemunicates better than her,'' Gale thought. He cleared his thoughts and addressed her again. "Do you know anything about script work?"


    Twilight nodded.


    "How much?"


    "A little."


    Gale finally managed to get something out of her mouth. "How much is only a little?" Gale asked again. "Can you detect or altermon script constructs?"


    Twilight nodded.


    ''And we''re back to gestures again.'' Galeughed. "Anyway, I have some defensive and illusion script formations prepared. I will beying them here so that these fools don''t know how to get out of them. You can watch me if you like for better understanding, although I''ll leave you with an ess key."


    Twilight nodded to her credit.


    "You know you''ll be staying here in this boring cave with these forsaken fools for some time now," Gale said, frowning. "You have noints about that, do you?"


    Twilight shook her head. "You''re paying me double."


    "That I''m doing," Gale acknowledged. Still less than her expertise deserved. Still, the work wasn''t anything risky, so it was more than equitable. "Anyway, I want to build a secretir here and these were thebour force that would be working on it. You won''t have to work with them, but you''ll have to look after their work so that they don''t do something stupid that can make me angry. With your natural presence, it should be pretty easy to scare these lots.


    Twilight nodded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Alright," Gale said. "Keep them chained until I make some ve cors for them. For the first few days, all they have to do is carve the cave. I''ll leave instructions before I leave. Make them work after they heal up."


    Twilight nodded and tilted her head as if asking whether there was something more.


    "Also, you''re wee to dinner, feel free toe."


    She disappeared without replying to his invitation.


    Gale made a weird noise with his mouth and brought out the stuff he made for his mansion, only to deploy them here.


    It took him half an hour toy the prepared formations. Apart from defensive and illusion array, there were sounds and Qi filtering formations that would keep all of their doing secret.


    Once done with the formation, Gale turned to the captives. They immediately looked away as Gale approached them. Most of them were older than him, some were even in their fifties. Well, they certainly didn''t look in their fifties with their iron and silver bodies.


    "I''m sure you guys have heard some of our talks," Gale told them. "Well, it was me who talked most of the time. All the time, but you got the gist of it, right? Or do I need to make it clear again?"


    The newly appointed ves looked at him with hatred and anger. They were, after all, some force to reckon with. Useful practitioners, nobody had the gall to enve them before.


    Gale frowned, and then the line in his forehead disappeared. He stared at them emotionlessly.


    "The only reason you''re all alive is ''cause you blokes have some use left of you," Gale told them stoically. He manipted his aura to still the atmosphere of the room, making them shiver. "Do you want to be useless? You know where it will lead you."


    The captives stared at him in awe, evident fear in their eyes.


    "I haven''t heard or seen any confirmation," Gale said. "I''ll repeat. Do you want to be useless?"


    The captives shook their heads immediately with muffled cries of no.


    "Good," Gale said as the stillness was released. "If you think about it, it isn''t all that bad. I''m sure the Han family wasn''t treating you, blokes, all that fairly. If I''m not wrong, you blokes are like expendable forces in the hands of some whimsical teenager who couldn''t even manage iron rank.


    "Here, I''ll make you work every day. From the look of things, you guys do need some training. I''m sure what I nned for you will be challenging enough. But don''t you worry, you won''t be doing it for free. I''ll leave you with wages for your work, though you won''t be able to go to whorehouses to spend them."


    The men were full of emotions, all sorts of. Anger, indignation, grief, regret, pain.


    "I can still see you guys holding onto the hope of the Han Familying to save you," Gale said, as the men sweated coldly. "Well, it''s good. Life without hope is no life at all. Just hope and try nothing drastic. I''m easygoing on the usual, but you guys haven''t seen my worst. Well, most people haven''t and those that saw it aren''t left to tell the tale."


    Gale looked around and wondered if Twilight was there. But she was, as always, like a ghost.


    Anyway, after he was done here, Gale proceeded to leave when a voice entered his ears.


    "Very intimidating."


    Gale looked around, but didn''t bother to look for Twilight. He clicked his tongue and left.

 Chapter 88 086 Training (1)

    ?Gale had prepared an entire room for Xiaolin''s training. Since she was going to use Pure crystal, which was generally poisonous to anyone who wasn''t Iron rank, it was all he could do, considering there were a two-year-old baby and his copper ranker mother living with them. Vale and Gale were totally fine with it, though.


    Gale hadid a few formations in the room, sealing it from outside energy flow. That way, the radioactive waves of pure crystal wouldn''t travel outside. Moreover, this room would have several times the energy and spirituality density of outside to get most Xiaolin''s constitution.


    "Master, I''m ready," Xiaolin said in her white sleeveless practitioner''s robe.


    Gale nodded andid a few thousand gold and silver spirit coins, even though the sealed room was already high in spirituality. With the scripts in ce, the coins started to lose their spirituality the very moment Gale brought them out. Thankfully, none of the spirituality would be lost as the room was sealed for outside energy flow.


    Gale then brought out the pure crystal b. There were many ways to use the pure crystal, but now Gale was going to let Xiaolin absorb it in the most crude way.


    "Run your Qi into this b and try to absorb as much as you''refortable with," Gale instructed, handing her the pure crystal b.


    Xiaolin took the pure crystal and sat cross-legged with the intention of meditative cycling. While Gale sat on the chair across from her, watching her.


    Xiaolin pierced the pure crystal b with her Qi as instructed and took in tiny wisps of radioactive waves of pure crystal. Changes appeared on her body almost immediately. It didn''t take a master to figure out she was ufortable. But that was only the beginning.


    Xiaolin''s veins glistened slightly as wisps of spirituality surrounded her figure. A knit appeared on her brows as she remained close-eyed in her absorption of pure crystal.


    A sheenyer of sweat covered her body as she was done absorbing the pure crystal. Now it was her turn to absorb spirituality from the coins. That hardly changed her situation. It brought in another inconceivable fatigue to her figure. First to her spirit and now to her body and eventually to mind.


    Gale could see his disciple was in terrible pain as she gritted her teeth already, absorbing arge amount of energy with each moment. Indistinct sounds of whimper escaped from her lips as her clothes got all soaked.


    She wasn''t absorbing the pure crystal anymore, but the effect was already more than she could handle. An excessive amount of energy surged through her being profusely, as her cells processed the sheer amount of fatigue they were being put through.


    But her pain wasn''t without reward. Her Qi umtion speed was several folds. In these few minutes, she had already done a couple of hours of work. The pure crystal was that amazing, apart from the terrible fatigue the practitioner had to put up with.


    Besides, Gale left her with the highest grades of energy, silver and gold to process. Of course, her speed would increase by several folds.


    From the looks of things, Xiaolin could boost her speed higher, though she didn''t have the physical capability to handle all that pain that woulde with it. In a way, this was her endurance training.


    She needed to be ten times better than now, at the very least, to progress to copper.


    After the ten-minute session passed, Xiaolin was barely holding on, drained almostpletely, soaked in sweat thoroughly.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale altered the formation to decrease the energy flow in the room. He then took the pure crystal from her so that he wouldn''t try to do something overboard in the intoxication of spirituality.


    "Now do, simple meditation for the next hour," Gale instructed her, standing up. "Calm the Qi you umted so far. Then you''ll use all the Qi though physical arts."


    Leaving those words, Gale got out of the cultivation chamber and crept to the kitchen, where Wang Li was busy cooking. Gale had shown her a couple of ways Qi could be applied to food, and she was busy practising that. Honestly, her Life Qi made it easier to augment the vour and quality.


    Then again, it was too damn hard to cultivate Life Qi, unless you have some hidden lineage or inheritance. Wang Li had none, as far as Gale was concerned. So diligence and perseverance were the only way for her.


    Besides, she seemed to enjoy doing stuff like cooking or brewing alcohol. She just had to do it zealously from now on.


    Vale was already awake and left for his early day stroll on the mountains while the other kid was still sleeping.


    "So how many ingredients have you wasted?" Gale asked.


    Wang Li turned with her sweat-ridden face. She was too tired and lost to be angry at his jab.


    "Not many," she said and pointed towards the tworge trays where many baked and unbaked culinary disastersy. Most of them looked fine to the naked eye and should be fine if eaten by a higher rank practitioner, but it would be a different case for those in the lower ranks of copper and below. Even Iron rankers would feel some demerits in their spirit arts if they ate them.


    Gale picked up a loaf of bread from the baked goodies and bit a good chunk off it. He considered the taste and the Life Qi inside and gulped it down.


    Wang Li looked at him for his assessment.


    "It has too much of your smell," Gale said with a grin, earning apletely annoyed look from the woman.


    Sincest night Wang Li was sick of that term. Apparently, Linlin has a very keen sense of spirituality, and she could easily smell the Qi of different practitioners after getting in contact with them. So whenever she ate anything Wang Li made for her with Life Qi, she mentioned it had her elder sister''s smell in it, leaving herpletely embarrassed.


    From his disciple, Gale had adopted the term and used it thoroughly to fluster her.


    _________

 Chapter 89 087 Training (2)

    ?"Still, this isn''t bad considering it is your first day," Gale said. "Copper rankers will only have some trouble with their bowels not being able to digest the life Qi."


    Not everyone was like Xiaolin, who was built differently, as most spiritual toxicities didn''t work on her. Xiaolin''s constitution took in whatever it considered necessary and emitted everything out. However, a normal human''s body wasn''t that magical.


    A normal human or practitioner''s body tries to take it all and wastes most of the elements of the ingestion. In the process, they barely had thetent ability to differentiate between harmful and harmless substances.


    "The reverse cycling technique is too weird for me," Wang Li said. "It''s like I''m losing my Qi the more I practise it."


    "That''s because you''re losing your Qi," Gale chuckled. He had taught her that techniquest evening when they were preparing food for dinner. Everyone in the Shen family turned up on the asion, as Gale could finally return the favour. Except for the sneaky Twilight, who had her mystique persona to keep up.


    "Although I taught you the basics of reverse cycling technique, you need to have a full grasp of it to brew wine. Bing a master chef should be your purpose now. You can''t be one without mastering it, either."


    Apparently, a practitioner''s personal Qi was toxic to other practitioners. Although it could be digested through cycling, it leaves dents on the foundation, which are too hard to clean up the more you umte.


    However, master chefs and other culinary artists were highly sought out for their high voured culinary delights, even though their foods were full of energy.


    That''s where the Reverse Cycling technique came in. The basics weren''t really that great, it just let the practitioner reverse their Qi to energy without all the toxicity, while keeping all the good qualities intact. That sounds like the right solution to the problem, right?


    But honestly, Reverse Cycling was too hard to master. Several times more than the normal cycling technique, at the very least. Ignoring the weird process you have to leave your Qi, though, the Reverse cycling was too slow, and could leave one''s spirit arts damaged with how easy it was to lose control and release your Qi.


    Naturally, Wang Li wasn''t a great talent in spirit arts, and hadn''t been devoted to practising them for many years. So the reverse technique would be profoundly hard for her to master.


    It was a twist of fate, really. His disciple releases her energy naturally, with no effort, and it was almost without toxicity in normal cases. That had been her worst enemy since she started practising spirit arts. Yet here Wang Li had to practise doing exactly that, but with more precision.


    "Keep at it, and you''ll be fine," Gale said. "If you aren''t motivated, think about the profit you can bring with it. Once you master the basics, you''ll earn ten times what you earn now easily."


    Honesty, once she mastered the basics, she could even apply for an apprenticeship under some master chef. Although the treatment of master chef apprentices was too tough since there was always a low number of people who could master even the basics, it was still the only viable option for her to grow.


    "You mentioned Rong''er would be fine eating my cooking," Wang Li asked. "Will it create any issues if I let him eat them every day?"


    "Definitely not every day until he learns to cycle Qi," Gale said, gesturing to everything sheid on the table. "Also, these had too much life energy for him to handle. Even though he was still in the grace period not affected by his mother''s Qi all that much, his body has not grown enough to handle so much Qi. I would advise about 10% of your output for his meal, as for Linlin you can do whatever you can."


    "Linlin," Wang Li said, "how''s she now?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "She was barely holding in," Gale said. "I left her to rest through meditation."


    "Isn''t that a bad idea?" Wang Li asked. As far as she was concerned, meditation needed some mental energy to work with. Since Xiaolin''s specialised training left herpletely drained, shouldn''t meditation on her drain state causeplications?


    "Your concern is valid," Gale said. "But it was only where we can push her. Although her spirit was more resilient than any normal copper ranker, we couldn''t push it past what we''re doing currently in case of her breaking down. The same is true for her physique. However, mind was a different business. Not entirely, but somewhat.


    "Xiaolin was diligent, but perturbed by her training. I guess years of hearing people calling her useless affected her mind. She either didn''t have the hunger or lost it in the way she had been practising useless for these few years. I want to introduce or bring that back to her.


    "Without the hunger for more, there was no way she could improve."


    "And the only way to do it is through putting her through overwhelming mental fatigue?" Wang Li''s expression was sceptical, but she didn''t question his teaching, not like how an elder sister should.


    "There''s no learning without failure, and there''s no gain without pain."


    "What if she breaks?" Wang Li asked, evident anxiety jittering her expression as she forgot she was still baking.


    "Then she had to forge herself back, forge herself into something that won''t break in such situations."


    "It is too easy for you to say," Wang Li mumbled, biting her lips.


    "It wasn''t easy," Gale said. "But I hadn''t taken Xiaolin as my disciple out of pity or to do charity. I said that very clearly before, and now you''re seeing it in practice."


    "You''re much harder than you act," Wang Li said quietly, "but please don''t try to make Linlin another copy of yourself."


    Gale blinked at the woman, who stared at him firmly. He sighed, considering what she meant by that.


    "I won''t, I promise," Gale said eventually. "And she won''t be me. She had you, Grandma, Little Rong''er to turn up as a miserable wretch like myself."


    ____________

 Chapter 90 088 Training (3)

    ?Xiaolinpleted her sixthp as Vale chased after her, woofing time after time to motivate her. Not that she needed it, but Vale was doing her good. He was doing a better job of it than Gale did.


    The sun was about to set and Xiaolin was almost at the end of her training for today. Training like this would have left herpletely drained a week ago, and she wouldn''t be able to practise the next two days, but with the improvement she made along with the life Qi-filled meal was having, rendered her to do much more than she was capable of a week ago.


    Still, she was still far away from her goal of achieving copper rank. Her master had given her six months, but Xiaolin wanted to do it as soon as possible. Six months was too long. She had already improved by almost fifty present as she could now hold on to practising for fifteen minutes, absorbing pure crystals.


    She had to improve about eight times that. At the speed at which she was going, she would probably make it in the fourth month, but she wasn''t satisfied with that. She had already missed so many years, she wouldn''t like to waste more time.


    Yes, she would do anything to get to copper. After that, it would be a lot easier. And at iron, she could finally practise like a normal person without losing Qi at every little thing she did.


    Xiaolinpleted the tenthp, and the surroundings grew colder by then. The sun had setpletely as the workers left during her run. Her master was still on the roof of the first floor of the mansion, working on enhancing the ironwood.


    Xiaolin wanted to learn to script too if she could, but now she had her hands full and too low level to even start the basics of scripts. Thus, her focus currently should only be to achieve copper. Then she could finally take other roads.


    Xiaolin slowed her pace to see if her master would stop her from training excessively, but Master Gale was busy with his scribing. Scribing needs the practitioner''s utmost attention even if you''re a master at it, like her Master.


    Considering the chances, Xiaolin wondered if she should run a few moreps. Well, if her master finds it, she could always lie.


    Xiaolin was about to make her eleventhp when she found the angelic hound barking at her loudly, as if to alert her master. Xiaolin rushed at the furry beast in an attempt to stop him, only to fail. Vale was much faster than her.


    She pouted at him as her master finally lifted his head to stare at her.


    "You''re done?" He asked, though it wasn''t a question. He scanned her from head to toe and nodded. "You''re done for today. Go rest. Your elder sister should have prepared food and other things for you."


    "Woof!" Vale agreed too.


    In the end, Xiaolin could onlyply. Reaching the house, she found her elder sister Wang Li breastfeeding little Rong''er.


    "You''re done," Wang Li said. "I already prepared the bath. You go have a bath. I''ll join you in a few minutes."


    "Thank you, elder sister," Xiaolin said and crept out of the house towards the new outdoor bath her Master had built with the builders.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, it wasn''t finished yet, though most of its functions needed for bathing were avable. Her Master would supposedly build another pool much bigger than the bath in the open to chill. However, the bath was his first priority as the one the house had was terribly small and didn''t have many functions most practitioners would need.


    Although her father had been an iron ranker, he wasn''t much of a practitioner. Besides, they could always dive into the river, which wasn''t that far away.


    Xiaolin could already smell the herbal aroma as well as the rich Life Qi of her elder sister. Xiaolin entered the bath and started to strip down her sweat-soaked practitioner robes. These days, she required at least three sets of robes for her training.


    She left the lock open, only shut the door so that her elder sister could enter and she didn''t have to stop her channelling.


    Xiaolin let herself bepletely naked and couldn''t help but turn towards therge mirror on the wall that reflected the full view of her figure.


    Honestly, she hadn''t grown much through this training she had been put through. There was still no growth of her muscles, t stomach as she had always been. Her legs were a little firmer, and that was it. Although her stamina had improved tremendously, she couldn''t see even a marginal improvement in her figure.


    The worst of it was her height. Well, elder sister Wang Li wasn''t much taller than her, barely half a foot, but that seemed like an impossible margin for her to cover. Xiaolin felt like a midget whenever she was around her Master. She even had to tiptoe to reach his underarm if she stood side by side with him.


    "Perhaps the advancement metamorphosis will do me good," Xiaolin mumbled and proceeded to be submerged in the hot water full of herbal goods and Life Qi.


    Xiaolin could feel her fatigue relieving the moment she submerged herself in the bath. The rich herbal Qi wasn''t just to relieve her fatigue, it was supposedly something that would clean her of toxins, meridians, blood vessels and many other magical effects.


    Xiaolin couldn''t even imagine how much effort and spirit coins her master and everyone were pulling for her. She couldn''t even fathom how much the pure crystal was worth, and yet she was wasting hundreds of gold and silver spirit coins in cultivation every day.


    Well, she had seen her master''s wealth. Even with her best effort, she couldn''t really put a dent in his wealth, considering a Master Artisan could earn back all that she spent from a few minutes'' work.


    Still, she doesn''t know how to repay him and everyone.


    Letting out a sigh self-consciously, Xiaolin sat cross-legged on therge tub and started cycling.


    The only way she could even think of repaying back was through growing strong first.


    "You still have energy left to practise?"

 Chapter 91 089 Training (4) - Nsfw

    ?NSFW/Implicit


    __________


    "You still have energy left to practise?" Wang Li asked the very moment she entered the bath.


    Xiaolin hadn''t felt her Elder Sistering in as she waspletely lost in her cycling. Through this session, she could channel the life of Qi and the magical herbs better to relieve herself. Instead of simply soaking in the water, which would be a long process, she boosted it through her magical constitution and channelling.


    She found this cheat that worked wonders to relieve her exhaustion. To anyone else, it wasn''t that much.


    "It is better that way," Xiaolin told her.


    "Well, as long as you can bear it," Wang Li said. "Doesn''t it get ufortable though?"


    "A little, but considering the benefit the herbs bring in, it''s all worth it."


    "Only the herb?" Wang Li asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "And of course your life Qi."


    Wang Li nodded in delight. Thankful that Xiaolin hadn''t mentioned anything about her smell in the water.


    Wang Li started to strip off her robes slowly on the sides. "Well, I can barely endure it for about a quarter of an hour," she said.


    Well, the herbs were specially selected for the needs of Xiaolin, something that would relieve her fatigue and would bring good improvement to her body. Of course, Wang Li cared nothing about improving her body, but she was exhausted to no end herself after practising Reverse Cycling and preparing so much food.


    Wang Li stripped naked and joined Xiaolin in the water. She rxed first,ying t on the stones as the warm water relieved her of most of her worries for the moment. The Wang''s Inn had a simr bath too, probably because it was made by the same builder, however, the atmosphere here was different.


    The boulders though seemed natural, most of them were carved that way to look at a natural bath with water streaming down always. Wang Li had to admit this one looked more natural than the one in the inn. Well, it didn''t have the water streaming down function, so.


    Wang Li wasn''t aware of what Gale did, save for the rich herbs and her Life Qi, but the water here never gets spoiled. It was as if something built it was under the bath that sucked in all the filth that was introduced to the bath.


    Moreover, there were multiple functions avable on the formation hub. Wang Li just needed a little Qi to change the water temperature, increase the herb quality, or change the atmospherepletely. There were, of course, privacy screens too, as if all the barricades around the bath weren''t enough.


    After relieving herself somewhat, she joined Xiaolin in channelling. Wang Li started regr cycling, the reverse one already wasted about a week of her effort.


    "Elder sister, when are you going back?" Xiaolin asked after a while.


    "What?" Wang Li ogled her eyes at the younger girl. "Can''t wait to be alone with your master."


    "It isn''t like that," Xiaolin said in fluster.


    "One of these days you''ll know what it is like," Wang Li said meaningfully. "Staying alone with an entric master, mistakes and all the other stuff are meant to happen."


    Xiaolin blushed, or it was the effect of the warm water and channelling. Probably both.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "This had been a little vacation that I didn''t think I would need, but so far it had been good for me."


    "Elder sister, you worked almost every hour. Even more than what you do for the inn."


    "But it is the work I like," Wang Li said. She sighed. "I''ll probably leave tomorrow. Your master had taught me a lot and treated me better than my own family. I can''t always be freeloading over here."


    "You probably can," Xiaolin couldn''t help but say. "I don''t think Master would mind, besides you aren''t freeloading. Your food helped me tremendously with all the improvements I made. It wouldn''t be possible without you."


    "Silly girl," Wang Li said. "I have a family of my own to look after." ''And how''s that working for me,'' she couldn''t help but think.


    Xiaolin clearly had an expression that said she wanted to say something, but she refrained from uttering it.


    With nothing to say, Xiaolin was done with her channelling as well. She would lose anything if she channelled more into her body--she was aware of it fully.


    Thus, she got up and ended her bath. Xiaolin wiped herself with a towel and wrapped herself in one. After done with that, she was about to move to wash her clothes when Elder Sister stopped her.


    "Leave those, I''ll wash them along with mine."


    Thanking her for that, Xiaolin got out and moved to the house which was quite some distance away, considering the n for the bath to be closer to the mansion. She couldn''t help but turn her head towards the roof of the mansion to find her master was still working.


    Xiaolin recalled what her elder sister said just a little while ago and blushed.


    Considering Xiaolin was barely wrapped in a towel, she crept away quickly from there.


    ***


    ''Alright, the ground floor is almost ready for residing,'' Gale mused. Of course, he wouldn''t be living there for a week or so, but he could leave many of the stuff out of the void lock there.


    Well, done with the scripting, Gale decided to wash, and then he would instruct Linlin and Wang Li on some basic things that he was missing. The two women barely had any foundation in spirit arts, and it was apparently worse for Wang Li even though she was at copper rank.


    Well, she had ast chance to rectify that before she advanced to iron. After that, there would hardly be any way to rectify the mistakes of the past.


    With one mind, Gale moved towards the newly built bath, thinking about the ways he could instruct his disciple.


    Only when he opened the door of the bath, he discovered what he had done.


    A couple of peachy white butt cheeks greeted his sight.


    _________________


    Monthly Priv chapter unlock goal: 607/1000

 Chapter 92 090 Training (5) - Nsfw

    ?Wang Li turned her head immediately, sensing someone else''s presence. She blinked at Gale once and nced downwards at her appearance, as her face turned red in shame.


    Wang immediately wrapped the clothes she was washing in her chest region, bringing some semnce of dignity over her modest breasts. Her left hand was fully clutched to her chest in case the cloth fell off, whereas the other arm was on theher region, holding another cloth.


    All that took her barely a blink of an eye, but Gale had seen what there was to see.


    "You know there''s a lock on the door," Gale couldn''t help but say, "even better, there''s a privacy screen."


    Wang Li gritted her teeth at the rebuke. "Why are you still standing there?" she yelled. "Go back."


    "Oh," Gale gave her another look on the way back. "Sorry."


    Leaving those words, he got out of the bath at a flying speed. Gale was literally flying, releasing Stormsong. He flew directly to the house. Entering, he found Xiaolin ying with Vale and Rong''er after finishing her meal.


    "Is something wrong, Master?"


    "It''s an insignificant matter," Gale said. "You don''t need to worry about that." He moved to the couch across from her. "What are you doing now? Do you have the energy for some simple lesson?"


    "Sure," Xiaolin said, perking her brows. Gale never taught him anything after her daytime training. Well, he left her with many texts to frown upon that took hours of her night study.


    "It''s a fundamental art that involves new ways of Qi maniption," Gale said. "Well, we can say this is the first step to somethingplicated before the manifestation of Intent. Practitioners have a term for it. Coercion, though, it is not alwayspulsive controlling.


    "The theory is simple. You pour your emotions through the way you channel Qi to give it a nature. Mhm, let me give you an example."


    Gale looked around to see if he could find anything that could be handy. Then he found the fire burning in the firece.


    "Watch this closely," Gale instructed. The next moment, his expression grew very serious as he focused on the fire burning.


    There was no change on the fire, even after several seconds. However, Xiaolin felt a mesmerising feeling spread in the room like the feeling when she ran in the forest during sunrise. A warm fuzzy feeling filled the room, even though she couldn''t point out where the change had happened.


    "Did you feel it?" Gale asked. Receiving a nod from his disciple, Gale continued. "It isn''t finished yet."


    Suddenly, the room grew colder. Xiaolin turned her head towards Gale to find his eyes grew colder as well. Even though the fire was burning like before, a distant feeling spread between them as Xiaolin could only feel the absence of warmth. A coldness crawled from her toes and crawled further up to chill her spine.


    Then all turned to normal as Gale retracted the minuscule amount of aura and Qi he used in the process.


    "Obviously," Gale told her, "all this is something you can''t learn until you have some grasp over your emotions."


    Xiaolin nodded, not understanding clearly. "Master, what''s the difference between Intent and the Coercion you showed just now?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What do you think?" Gale asked. "I think you have glimpsed something out of this?"


    "Mhm," Xiaolin hummed. "It wasn''t a hallucination. I clearly felt the warmth and coldness. It''s like the Master decreases and increases the boundary between what I would feel with or in the absence of the fire. Master, you said coercion is something that needed emotions as fuel along with Qi. . ."


    "And what does Intent need?" Gale asked, pointing her in the right direction.


    "Spirit. Willpower, whatever it is along the line," Xiaolin answered.


    Gale nodded. "Obviously, you can''t weaponise emotions simrly to Intent, but at intimidation of making someone feel something, then Coercion is the best weapon in your arsenal."


    A cute frown developed on Xiaolin''s brows. "Is that how you intimidated Han Xiao on the very first day of your arrival?"


    "That?" Gale picked his fingers to count. "It''s a little moreplicated than just tant Coercion, though it had its part in it. I mainly used three things for that intimidation apart from Qi. Stormsong¡ªmy third fate lock, Intent and Coercion.


    "When that fool red the surrounding Qi to intimate me, I simply coerced the natural Qi around him to not listen to him. This is something not possible at a low rank. Then I finished with the release of Stormsong slightly with a very specific Intent of stilling the air in his lungs and around him. That got him all so red and breathless."


    "Master, isn''t that very dangerous?" Xiaolin couldn''t help but ask. "What if something happened when you tried to control the air inside his lungs?"


    "Well, it is somewhat dangerous," Gale agreed. "But since I was a couple of hundred times stronger than him, the trick came almost effortlessly. Obviously, if it were someone closer to my rank, I would have failed terribly. As you know, a practitioner''s body is a terrible deterrent to Qi."


    Xiaolin nodded with a contemtive expression.


    "Don''t think too hard. It is still far away for you to pull off this trick," Gale told her. "However, you can start training, Coercion now. It may not have great benefits in a terrible situation like how Intent has, but it is a neat trick to master when you want to intimidate someone. Moreover, learning Coercion would improve your Intent and control over your Qi and emotions, as it was quite hard to blend emotion into Qi. Simply for that fact, it''s a good trick to learn."


    "Master, how do I start training that, though?" Xiaolin asked,pletely oblivious. "Emotions weren''t something visceral. How do you work with it?"


    Gale was about to answer when he found Wang Liing with wet hair and fully clothed in a clean white robe. However, the image of her tantalising figure crept into his mind, the movement his eyesid on her.


    _________


    Monthly privilege chapter goal: 705/1000


    I''m adding another bonus reward to the 5 chapters mass release. I''ll put a whooping 69% discount if we make it to 1000 this month.


    Also, I''m in the middle of changing the book title. What are your thoughts on changing the book to Maidenless Farmer? XD.

 Chapter 93 091 Training (6)

    ?Gale found Wang Li ogling at him furiously, a bit of redness on her cheek and neck.


    "For the record, that wasn''t my fault." Gale was too quick to refute any me that wasing his way.


    Wang Li glowered at him.


    "Master, what are you talking about?" Xiaolin asked, discovering she clearly missed something in this interaction.


    "Nothing!" Both Wang Li and Gale said at the same time.


    Xiaolin blinked.


    "d that we agreed on that," Gale said, earning another re from Wang Li. He probably should have stopped himself from bbering on.


    Wang Li scurried to the kitchen, giving him ast re, as his disciple continued to give him curious nces.


    "So where were we?" Gale said,pletely overlooking how he left his disciple lost on the matter. "How to learn Coercion? Hmm. When you cycle in the beginning, what do you visualise to calm yourself?"


    "Water ripples on a pond, or drifting mist," Xiaolin answered, forgetting the little exchange between Gale and her elder sister.


    "Okay," Gale said. "Now, whenever you start visualising, think deliberately about those emotions and try to channel them through the energy. Honestly, everyone is already doing it subconsciously. You just need to be aware of that and be required to let ite under your control. When you gain control, it would be even easier for you to enter deep meditation. This is as far as you can train with coercion currently."


    Emotions yed a big role in Qi umtion, or anything rted to the practitioners. Honestly, the nature and emotions of a person reflect on their Qi and Aura. So the best way to have a delicate hand at controlling Qi or aura was to have a full grasp over your emotions.


    Gale never liked things other practitioners tried to achieve, something like severing their emotions or practising only a particr one of emotions.


    However, a practitioner who can''t control their emotions is worse than a savage beast.


    ***


    Wang Li left the next day in the morning. Gale found none of this to be his fault. The incident that happened yesterday was totally by coincidence, though it probably urged her to leave sooner rather thanter.


    Well, the familial presence was pleasant, but most of the time, it was alone you have to tread the path. Xiaolin had much of the road to cover, she could be stranded just by this.


    As always for safety, Gale sent Vale along with Wang Li, leaving him and his disciple alone on the farnd. Well, he was mostly alone, since his disciple was busy with her training. Gale had work to do as well, but they would just need a couple of hours of his time, as he had enchanted all the ironwoods by now.


    As for the defensive formation, he was still missing a few of the important ingredients to proceed with them. So he decided to check on the state of the workers the Han Family sent him. It was five days since they were working, and the carving of the cave was probably done by now.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale needed to sit with Master Crafter and ask him to make a blueprint for it. He needed to be careful though, lest he let out his secret. Well, about seven people other than him knew about it, so it wasn''t apparently a secret. Then again, thebourers didn''t count.


    Gale just needed to find a way to make sure Twilight kept her mouth shut. Well, she was the silent type, still . . .


    Gale was just about to fly away towards the waterfall, to his secretir when he found a familiar figure creeping towards his farnd.


    It seemed like Sun Ziang had gone to venture into the mountain on his own again. This time too, his adventure ended fruitlessly as he returned in battered shape, his iconic silver hair tangled, bearing a few injuries that needed better care. He was wearing a new robe, though that could also be because the old one got ruined.


    Gale changed his direction to fly towards the noble scion. Sun Ziang noticed his arrival from a respectful distance away and gave him a good-natured smile as he stopped.


    "Looks like you haven''t found what you''re looking for," Gale remarked,nding a few paces away from him.


    "This trip had been more eventful than I had assumed it would be, but I won''t call this fruitful," Sun Ziang replied with a wry smile. He was definitely exhausted as his body went through relentlessbat for a period of time. "I wasn''t aware there were so many silver-ranked beasts on this mountain. I wasn''t in the mood for training, but they put me in some challenging situations."


    Gale frowned after hearing about silver-ranked beasts. Only a couple of them shouldn''t be a challenge for the noble scion. Considering his shape, a pack of silver-ranked beasts should have charged after him.


    "Interesting," Gale said. "It shouldn''t be possible, though, considering how low the density of energy is. Even reaching iron is tough for most people."


    "That is true, but Ie across ces full of rich herbs in the mountains," Sun Ziang said. "Of course, most were iron rank and lower, but I dide across some higher grades too, though not in high numbers. That is to say, I haven''t gone much deeper. Nobody of Tianhui probably isn''t aware, but this mountain range might be a treasure trove."


    "Hmm, that is interesting."


    They moved towards the farnd, conversing with whatever Sun Ziang discovered on the mountain. That reminded Gale to go on a little expedition on the mountain with his disciple to give her more perspective and experience.


    Gale was saving that until she reached Copper, but that was still half a year away. It wouldn''t be a bad idea to give her a change of perspective, though.


    "Anyway," Gale said, addressing the noble son, "it seems like you haven''t taken my advice of forming a band seriously, seeing how you''re now."


    _________


    Monthly Privilege chapter Goal: 640/1000


    It isn''t growing, though.

 Chapter 94 092 Longread (1)

    ?It seemed Sun Ziang had considered his proposal and even tried to form a band on this expedition. But unfortunately, the town hardly had people who could reach Sun Ziang''s standard.


    Most of the silver rankers he came across in this town were either old or just above average at best. As for iron rankers, most of them would only be burdens. Well, considering what he came across this time around, taking even the silver ranker from this town would be a terrible risk.


    Sun Ziang clearly looked awful after everything he came across in the mountain range.


    "Well, if I hadn''t retired I might join you on this trip, but I have a ce to build and a disciple to teach," Gale replied and considered. "However, I might be able to acquire you a good substitute. She might not be the type ofpanion you want, but her capabilities speak for herself. Let me see if she agrees or not."


    Of course, he was talking about Twilight. Her abilities werepletely unique to what he came across in this world. And it wouldn''t be wrong to say her capabilities woulde in more than just handy in most situations.


    "That''s one person," Gale continued, handing the white harried youth a cup of herbal tea. "You would need at least two more to form a dependable group."


    "I see no promise in the town," Sun Ziang said. He washed and changed his clothes after Gale let him in as a guest.


    "You can make amission to the guilds around here. That might take a while, but that''s the only way forward if you don''t have others on your sleeve."


    Sun Ziang grunted and sighed. "Anyway, you have a longread, right? Let me use it. I need tomunicate with the n."


    "This way," Gale brought the youth to the other room, where most of his script constructs and the Longread were stored. Basically, it looked like a terrible version of a scriber''s workshop. It would remain like this until he builds a new workshop in the mansion.


    Gale pointed to a device that was double the size of an old typewriter, though both of the items have some resemnce to them. Longreads lets you connect to another longread distance away and both devices then can exchange text between themselves. Kind of like a fax that works on different principles.


    It was one of the most recent inventions, barely having a history of over a dozen years. Still, with its growing poprity, it wouldn''t be long before everyone would have a brick-like mobile phone with them, and they couldmunicate throughout the world.


    "That''s that device?" Sun Ziang lifted an eyebrow. His expression was incredulous. "Isn''t it supposed to berger?"


    The one his family had to spare was around two hundred kilograms in weight and would have taken a fifth of his dimensional storage device. That''s why Sun Ziang hadn''t taken one with him when he was deported here.


    Besides, many organisations providemunication through longreads in exchange for some spirit coins. Why bother wasting so much space of his dimension storage?


    Unfortunately for him, it turned out this town barely had three working longreads; one at the enforcers'' office, one at the mayors and thest one for public use at the Artisans'' Guild.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Well, the number was four now, considering this device that hardly took a tenth of an actual longread''s space was usable.


    "This is one of the newer versions," Gale told him. "I don''t know if this hit the market yet, as I assembled this one myself."


    "You built this yourself?" Sun Ziang was startled.


    "Assembled," Gale told him. "I had the old version, the one you''re familiar with, and it wasn''t working properly, so I broke it into parts. Turned out, it was full of useless stuff. The core of the device is small, but the keys that type the words out take up most of the space. So I just worked with a couple of other fes to remodel the whole device."


    "So you made it," Sun Ziang concluded, "but not alone."


    Gale tilted his head and nodded. "We kept the core intact and threw away all the other stuff that was just taking up space or had other features I didn''t need. Do you know some old versions have a feature that saves all the logs? Well, I can see the practicality in that, but people can easily spy on your conversation if they could just ess the logs."


    Sun Ziang frowned. All this talk was new to him. Considering his main focus had always been spirit arts, he wasn''t surprised that he was hearing about all this for the first time. But it was a worrying matter indeed.


    Although Sun Ziang had nothing to hide, his Aunt Min always advised him to use Longread through codes. Previously, he thought it was only so that his mother would never find out they were stillmunicating, even after his deportation, but now it seemed his aunt had other concerns.


    "This one is just the bare bone of a longread," Gale said. "You can onlymunicate through themon tongue and almost anywhere in the world if you have the ess key. I thought about putting emojis in them, but your world isn''t ready for it yet."


    "Curious," Sun Ziang said, ignoring thest part. "Can you make another of them just like this one?"


    Gale lifted his eyebrows to stare at him. "Sure," he said. "If I had the parts, it''s only a few hours of work."


    "Then will you take mymission to build me one?"


    "I see no harm in it," Gale said.


    Sun Ziang was delighted to hear that, but then he remembered why a longread wasn''t easily essible to themon practitioner. It was so damn expensive that even most gold rankers couldn''t afford it.


    "What?" Gale could naturally see his worry. "You''re the heir of the legendary Sun n, and you''re worrying about money? I really haven''t expected this."

 Chapter 95 093 Longread (2)

    ?"I''m cut off from family allowances," Sun Ziang said, biting his lips. "Well, even if I weren''t, it will take me a couple of years to afford a longread which can easily cost over a hundred thousand gold marks. Our family remunerates allowances ording to the member''s capabilities, not their family standing."


    "That seemed like a good way to nurture children," Gale remarked. "Unfortunately for you, parts of a longread cost quite a lot. Well, you can always pay in instalments with no extra charge."


    "Is that alright?"


    "Sure," Gale said easily. "Since you asked for the best healer of your n to check on my disciple, I can at least do that."


    "Oh that," Sun Ziang was evidently embarrassed. "I''ll see when my aunt has time."


    "No worries. I''ll make you a list of items before you go. You canmission the parts from the guild. It will be some time before they can manage the parts, though. Anyway, I''ll leave with your privacy."


    Sun Ziang watched him leave and brought out a small crystal orb from his dimension storage device. It was the ess key that connects to his aunt''s longread. He put the ess key into the device and waited for it to connect.


    Sun Ziang only remained in contact with his aunt Min for thest few months and that too not excessively. He barely talked for a few minutes once or twice a month. Most of the time, his aunt barely has time to receive the connection.


    However, it seemed today she had time to receive his call.


    Sun Ziang proceeded to type first, only to find the keys weren''t in chronological order, but shuffled all around the space. He frowned and memorised the new key tabs. There was no point inining, considering this was probably something they had to do to make the device smaller.


    [Aunt Min, it''s me, Ziang,] Sun Ziang typed. He waited until a reply came.


    [Prove it.] The device typed in.


    Sun Ziang thought for a moment and typed: [You''re barely a couple of decades away from reaching a hundred years in age, but you''re still a v--]


    [Alright, you don''t need to prove anymore,] the device typed in on its own, reflecting what his aunt typed in on the other end of her device.


    Sun Ziang snickered. [Anyway, when are youing?]


    [I don''t have a date.]


    [That probably because this isn''t your priority,] Sun Ziang typed.


    [Yes.]


    Sun Ziang snorted at the blunt admission. [That will probably change if you listen to what I found this time around,] he typed.


    [Do tell.]


    [I came across silver and gold ranked herbs even though the highest energy density in the mountains is just around iron rank. This shouldn''t be possible, right?]


    [Normally, yes. However, this might not be a normal case. What else did you find?]


    [A pack of silver ranked Berserk Monkey,] Sun Ziang typed. [They were Reaper wolves too, mostly iron ranks, but there were some silver ranks too. I think I might even find some rare gold rank beasts if I go deeper. But it isn''t a feasible option to venture only by myself, considering what I came across.]


    [Interesting. . .]<novelnext></novelnext>


    Of course, it was interesting. Both the Berserk Monkey and Reaper Wolves were rare beasts whose ancestry reached the extinct god beasts. Sun Ziang hadn''t expected toe across them here.


    [What is this mission really about?] Sun Ziang asked, knowing his aunt wasn''t telling him the whole story.


    There were only a few people in their n who were let on to the secrets. Aunt Min was one of them.


    Sun Ziang wasn''t among them, even though he was the son of the matriarch. Well, he was one among many and of the lowest rank. He had done nothing to prove himself yet.


    [That''s something I''m not fully aware of,] his aunt typed in. [All I can say is that Grandma had a purpose for sending you here, not just for punishment, although that was one of her concerns.]


    Sun Ziang snorted and didn''t reply to that.


    [Try to get into the centre of all this if you can,] his aunt continued. [I''m still concerned with other businesses, but I''ll join if you have something to show for as a result.]


    [Aunt, I can''t move further alone.]


    For several seconds, there was no reply. [I can send you one of my disciples to assist you if you can, but this is as far I can do for you now.]


    [If it''s Qing''er, then yes,] Sun Ziang replied.


    [I''ll see to that. Also, you are on the silver rank for a while now. It''s about time you should consider advancing to gold.]


    [I''m already considering that,] Sun Ziang said. He didn''t have ess to the n''s resources anymore, and that would probably stay that way for some time. Sun Ziang had to prepare for his advancement on its own, and he was alright with that.


    [The mountain range will provide some challenges. I think this will be good enough for my advancement.]


    [Anyway, how''s your life in Wayshire.]


    [It''s mostly peaceful and boring.] Sun Ziang typed. I cannot fathom, our ancestors came to some ce like this.]


    [That was a different time when divinity was among us. We were hardly a second ss n at that time and Wayshire was different too.]


    Sun Ziang heard too many theories from his aunt about divinity, so he didn''t think too much about that.


    [Do you have anything more to say? It''s almost midnight here, and I need to sleep.]


    [Remember the girl with a peculiar constitution I talked to you about?]


    [Yes. You asked for her at the request of the Wang family.]


    [Well, she has a master now, and apparently I owe that master somewhat. So it would be really great if you can make some time to check on her.]


    [Didn''t you say her constitution didn''t let her umte Qi for a longer period of time? Why did someone take her under their wings then? Wait, is it someone who only took her as a disciple just because they are interested in the peculiarity of her physique? Is there even a single true master in Wayshire?]


    [Probably not for your first question,] Sun Ziang replied. [As for the matter of being a true master, apparently he is a Master Artisan.]

 Chapter 96 Interlude (3)

    ?Wang Qi wasn''t really feeling it today to answer the longread from her family. She had been meditating the Ice Mantra of her sect with a few of her fellow sect sisters when the call came.


    Obviously, if she chided the junior sister that she didn''t want to answer today and was busy practising, she would carry the message over the longread to her family. Wang Qi couldn''t do that.


    That would make her an unfilial daughter after everything her parents endured to get her here. So she decided she would listen to them again about whatever proposal they had. And she would deliberately dy whatever proposal they woulde up with again.


    In a way that would make her unfilial too, as she was doing it deliberately over months, but as far as her current circumstances allowed her, she could only do that.


    With a heavy heart, she stood up and proceeded to rush towards themunication chambers.


    "Senior Sister, you''re ditching practice again," her junior Sister Pei said with a snicker. "Let me guess it is your family again or is it your time to teach alchemy to others again?"


    Wang Qi considered replying to Junior Sister Pei, but another of her sisters chimed in:


    "Sister Qi, you can''t always ignore their proposal like this," Sister Song said. "Well, if you don''t want to marry then just tell them that, if they don''t agree, you have the sect to back you."


    "I will consider your words Sister Song," Wang Qi replied eventually, "however this is my family, I can''t just bury them for my ambitions."


    "I''m just pointing out your options," Sister Song snorted. "If you feel so indebted to your family, then perhaps you can marry whoever they found for you. Just don''t bother us when you''re stranded on the Ice Mantra."


    Wang Qi narrowed her eyes. She could detect the jab in her fellow sister''s tone. On regr days, Wang Qi didn''t really bother to reply to such tones, however, she decided today isn''t going to be the case.


    "I thank Sister Song for your concern about my spirit art," she said, "but you can be rest assured, I won''t lose out on any of your progress. And even if I do, I would never bother you or my fellow junior or senior sisters."


    "I''ll see you to it then," Sister Song sneered.


    Junior Sister Pei, who joined barely half a year after Wang Qi, looked troubled hearing out their exchange. She wasn''t quick to water the me, but she did try eventually, although it did no good.


    "Senior Sister Qi, you''re never a bother, you helped me so much when I joined," Junior Pei said. "Senior Song, Senior Qi, we''re all sisters here, there''s no point arguing like this. We should help each other more and be more dependent, isn''t that howpanionship grows?"


    "Dependence only makes you a fool, Junior Sister Pei," Sister Song said and threw a look at Wang Qi before focusing on her meditation again.


    Wang Qi exchanged a polite bow with Sister Pei and departed from the icy cave. She channelled her Qi to settle the restlessness as she had been under freezing point for over six hours.


    She wasted no more time to rush to themunication chamber. She already kept her family waiting for a few minutes, but it should be understandable.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Reaching the particr longread device, Wang Qi found the connection was already cut off, while her family left a note for her instead ofmunicating directly.


    Wang Qi took the paper script from the device and excused the junior sister. She was delighted to learn it was from her grandma, not her family asking to marry some genius youth to lift their standing again.


    Wang Qi sighed and moved out of there to the waiting room. She rested her bottom on a seat in the waiting room and proceeded to read the note.


    [My dear granddaughter, I hope your heart is as steady as it had always been. I heard from your father that you made it to Silver rank recently. Congrattions on that, you''re living up to my expectations. However, it pains my heart that you never bother toe to Wayshire or even exchange words with this old woman.]


    Wang Qi bit her lips as she read that. Although she had seen her grandma a couple of years back when she returned home to Azure Park, she had never visited her in Wayshire since she joined the sect.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to. Wayshire had almost nothing to show for itself, but it had a peaceful and homely vibe to it as far as she remembered. She remembered she enjoyed visiting there during the local festivals. However, since her sister couldn''t endure her presence anymore, she decided it was for the best that she didn''t visit anymore.


    Moreover, she barely had time toplete all her study and the sect duties. Not to mention, she had to work about thirty hours a week part-time to gain more resources for herself.


    Wang Qi was so terrified of failure and disappointing her family, she hardly rested herself apart from the few hours of sleep every day.


    [The local festival ising along well. If you have the time and desire, visit Wayshire. Even if you don''te I''ll understand. Everyone else but me is busy with their lives, and I understand that old age has got me.


    [However, if it isn''t too much, I hope you''ll write to me at least once every two or three months. I hardly remember how the sect has been and what changed after I left a century ago. Anyway, for that reason I contacted you. Your sister has decided to return to practising spirit arts again.]


    Wang Qi lifted an eyebrow as she read thest line.  She hadn''t seen iting. As far as she knew her sister, something drastic must have happened for her to go back to practise again.


    [With much deliberation, I decided to loosen our revenue to buy her a good fate lock. Your parents had been unfair to her, and she had been on the brink of losing everything again. I decided this without consulting your parents or uncles and aunts.


    [The fate lock we purchased has nt and Life attributes, it would be a real loss if she didn''t practise some medicine brewing and alchemy with it. That''s why I decided to contact you. I''m not asking much from you, of course, Wang Li barely had the foundation to handle much. All I am asking is the notes your grandfather left on Alchemy along with his experience. You should have gotten all the benefits from them, now give this to your sister so that it can be of some help to her.]


    Wang Qi frowned. she hadpleted her studies over her grandfather''s alchemy notes years ago. It has been a great help to her journey of alchemy from the beginning. Unfortunately, she didn''t have it with her. She sent it back home after she was done with it. Although she had copied them before returning.


    Wang Qi saw no fault in sending that too, though she wasn''t certain what her sister''s impression would be if she sent back her the notes in her own writings.


    [Also, I heard your parents are trying to marry you off to someone. I have noment on that, but I''ll only advise you to do what your heart desires. A practitioner''s life is long, opportunities like these will present themselves asionally, so don''t take it too hard.


    [--Your Grandmother.]

 Chapter 97 094 Achievement Unlocked! (1)

    ?My stay in the underground facilities finally came to an end. Hold your horses! I haven''t managed to escape. It was just that they had enough fun with me already.


    After the Oldman had roughened me up with his vast magical power, they mostly left me to my devices. Almost like before, though, they stopped feeding me the blue potion. Perhaps I have angered the Oldman, and he decided it was a waste of his resources to use the potion on this ungrateful boy.


    Mind you, I was a boy back then. Perhaps a few months older than you now, Linlin.


    I''m saying this only for you to understand that many of the decisions I made back then were profoundly stupid. Well, I was stupid and hopelessly optimistic, even after my torturous experience.


    In the back of my mind, I still thought they had some purpose in doing all this. Like why feed me healing potions if not for some experiment to see how good the portions were, or if they had some side effects? It wasn''t every day they came across free ves to do experiments on.


    Well, for them, they doe across free ves to experiment on every day.


    They summon it from alternative dimensions every day.


    While most of their summons were unsessful, however, every now and then, they seeded and can have a mangled, torn bloke to show as a result.


    I have seen plenty of corpses to conclude they weren''t particrly good at this summoning business.


    Anyway, I was bedridden for two whole days before I could twitch a little. Oh, by bed, I meant the hot stone ground, obviously.


    After I could barely move, they had enough of me and decided to send me somewhere else. Thankfully, I wasn''t alone on this journey. Apart from the guards, there were two more fes. We''ll get to that soon enough.


    They had blindfolded me on this trip just to be certain I didn''t use my big brain to memorise the path and found my way back to this hellhole.


    I mean, were they stupid? Why would I want to go out of my way to return here? To get beaten up more?


    Do they consider me a sadistic, masochistic bitch like themselves?


    Well, even if they left me open, I don''t think I could remember all the twists and turns they had to take to get me out of there. Still, I was relieved that they blindfolded me. My thought process was: since they bother to take this precaution, their intention shouldn''t be to kill me.


    I didn''t see any reason for them to free me either, nor did I possess any other qualities for any other possibilities, save for being ab rat.


    However, I was delighted that my days as ab rat had finally ended.


    "Achievement unlocked! Just ten days into the mysterious world of magic, and you managed to lift your position from a Lowly Lab Rat to a Lowly ve Miner."


    That had earned me a kick in the butt. I squirmed on the new ground as nobody came to help me out. Apparently, the guards didn''t understand my humour; well, it wasn''t their fault. They hardly knew ournguage and culture.


    However, the other two earthlings with me were impassive too at my joke. They were too worn out to do more than lift an eyebrow in my direction. Well, one of them was my predecessor, the insane Bardi Tuon Sai. Failure 303.


    While the other person was another man in his middle-aged years, his number was Tuon Siani, which was 316. Only three survivors from the numbers 303 to 316.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He was barely here for a day and didn''t have to go through the ball-crushing ritual even once. He was one lucky fe. I waspletely envious of his fortune. He just got in, had a healing potion and slept for the whole day, and now he was here with us.


    He skipped the torture quest altogether. I wish I had known about this cheat a few days ago.


    Well, his condition still seemed severe. I wasn''t particrly certain who between us two was more mangled when we first arrived here, but to my credit, I healed better than him, although I bore countless scars all over my body.


    My left hand was still unusable. It had too many injuries to heal so easily.


    Anyway, to our new task, which was to mine glittering stones out of the mine. They hadn''t instructed us yet, but I could already guess with the many other ves I saw after they removed my blindfold.


    Countless men and women¡ªcored with the chains like us¡ªwere pushing trolleys full of glittering stones in thenes. They didn''t even lift their heads to look at us and showered us with curious nces, proving how hard life was here and this wasn''t the first time it was happening.


    It wouldn''t be as bad as the torture quest, I told myself and hoped.


    I waited there with them, gazing at the massive mining facilities. The atmosphere was still on the warmer side, though a lot fresher than before. Rows of bright gemstones were drafted on the high walls and the side walls, which were the only sources of light. They had no wires to power them up, though, leaving me with thoughts of how they work.


    Obviously, this world ran on differentws than my own. I was curious about everything new I saw. I wanted to know how they work, and perhaps through that, I would be able to gain some magic power somehow.


    Remember, I mentioned I was young and stupid? Hopelessly optimistic? Yeah, you get that now, right?


    Our wait finally ended as three men came to receive us. The one in the front was a round man who seemed alone to take the spaces of two grown men on his own. Well, looks could be deceiving. I learned that lesson recently. The lesson hadn''te easy, as it still ached my body.


    Behind the fat man were two others. Both men are in their early thirties. They had no particr thing about them, just that they were in better health than the ves, wearing grey robes contrasting with the fat man''s purple. Well, I was too worn out to notice anything else then.


    The round man exchanged a few words with the guards, while the other two carried on ogling at us three. After their exchange ended, the guards left, leaving us in the care of the round man.


    The round man turned to us after a while and started to speak gibberish to us. Well, he was probably introducing the perks of a lowly ve to us. That''s very nice of him. Perhaps I was wrong all along to judge him by the shape.


    However, as the fat man finished, he turned to the man on his right, who came forward and started speaking in English, startling all three of us.


    "My fellow earthlings, all of you have terrible luck in ending up here. Fortunately, you are not alone."


    ____________


    Monthly Privilege Chapter Unlock Goal: 685/1000


    7 more days to go, can we make it to the mark?


    Three more of these shbacks and we''ll go back to the current timeline.

 Chapter 98 095 Achievement Unlocked! (2)

    ?"From the look on your face, I can see all of you can understand me," the man continued, addressing them. "I was in your ce once. My number was 72, but look at me now." The earthling lifted his head to know his bare neck. "There''s no ve cor, as I have earned my name and my freedom back. It took me a long time and incessant enduring work to get to this point."


    ''Well, congrattions to you,'' Gale almost barked that aloud.


    "But I''m sure any of you can stand where I am standing now. You''ll see that the Lords and governing bodies here are fair and keep everything professional. So you can rise and strive to earn back your freedom like I did."


    All the new ves listened to him carefully, including me. But I couldn''t help but frown as I listened in.


    "I''m not known by the number anymore," the man continued, discovering he had our utmost attention, "but my real name. You all can call me Joseph. And that is not all."


    Joseph lifted his hand before everyone else in a gesture of demonstration. A crimson me zed from his palm, fazing all three of us utterly. It wasn''t some weak me either, but a crimson fire burning with intensity. Joseph looked proud as he showed us the fire.


    I couldn''t hold back anymore and pped my hands. Joseph lifted his head to turn to me, diminishing the fire. I lifted my hand like a kid in the ssroom.


    "Yes?" Joseph asked.


    "That''s a neat trick," I said. "How many birthday parties did you have to perform to be this good?"


    It seemed Joseph wasn''t a fan of that joke, as he gave me a stare of disapproval.


    "Come on, bloke," I said again, "that''s just a joke."


    The disapproval turned to utter displeasure as Joseph rebuked me, stealing a ce at the fat man, who was already annoyed and couldn''t wait till this end.


    "You''ll keep your mouth shut till I finish, 309," he demanded of me in a stern tone.


    I made a gesture of zipping my lips. He had the cold look in his eyes as well, very simr to the guards that had beaten me to pulp thest few days.


    Joseph continued, gesturing towards the fat man. "This is your lord Pen Acs. You''re all deported under him, but Lord Pen hardly has time to look after lowly ves. So the duty fell on the backs of the men under him, which included me and a dozen others. We don''t have more time to introduce more things, but once you think you must get into your block head."


    Joseph looked at all the three of us, though his stare seemed to remain on me for an extended moment. Good for me, I already stand out in the crowds of three. Although one of the other two was insane and the other was worn out to no end.


    "There is no escape," Joseph told us in his most hard voice. "You can try all you want, but I''ll promise you this: I''ll find you and get you back to your post. You''ll never be able to remove the cor from your neck that way. It''ll only put you under more scrutiny and stress.


    "From now on, you''ll work on the mines from nine to five. It''s a couple of hours more than that, this world day is longer. But that''s not the point. I expect no issues from you three, as it was under me to look after the earthlings. Don''t take me. Take us as fools. Failures."


    As he finished, they brought the three of us into our home and left us to our devices. The new home looked much more like a prison, to be honest.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It wasn''t as spacious as the other ce where I was so far. Thankfully, I have a little room all to myself. It had a little bed hardly enough for one person, a few wooden cups and pots. There was a nket too, although with the room temperature nearing that of a desert, I didn''t think I would need that.


    Apart from dirt and debris, my room had nothing else to take note of. The same was true for my neighbours. My neighbour on the right was that insane man. He didn''t speak all that much, other than grunting and shouting. However, the other one, the neer, who had the room on the right of the Insane man, was a much preferablepany.


    He came back to greet me as I was cleaning my house.


    "I didn''t know how to open up in a situation like this," he said from the door of my new room. "I still can''t believe all this to be real? Alternate dimensions, magic and all."


    "A good beating would have done you some good," I couldn''t help but say.


    That earned a confused look from the man. He was in his mid-thirties, a decade and more older than me. He should have taken good care of his body and had a neat life before this, as one day into a different dimension with all the injuries wasn''t enough to make the signs disappear.


    "Do you have a name, mate?"


    "Cameron," the neer said and came forward to shake hands. "Cameron Banks, I was a chartered ountant before whatever happened to me and I was dropped here."


    "Gale Carpenter." I introduced myself, shaking his hand slightly with my right arms. Although I''m left-handed, the left hand wasn''t in any state for movement. "Well, I was majoring in psychology, along with a few other things like freestyle rap, sports and documenting, but looks like those don''t matter anymore."


    "I wouldn''t say that," Cameron said. "Although this is an unfamiliar world, you never know when those skills wille in handy. Besides, save for the rap, I think studying the other two would give you a broad perspective of the world and human nature. That''s something most peoplecked in the world."


    "What about rap?"


    "Uhm, you can diss the vers, although I don''t think they''d understand you."


    "Hmm," I hummed, considering. "That seems like a good idea, though I would need a better ce than this to bring out my inner poet."


    ______


    Monthly privilege chapter goal: 705/1000


    I''m adding another bonus reward to the 5 chapters mass release. I''ll put a whooping 69% discount if we make it to 1000 this month.


    Also, I''m in the middle of changing the book title. What are your thoughts on changing the book to Maidenless Farmer? XD.

 Chapter 99 096 Achievement Unlocked! (3)

    ?Mining was a hundred times harder than it looks. It barely took me a few minutes to figure that out.


    My day started at the new home quite early as the morning horn red strongly, unresting my fatigued body easily. Topare the intensity of the horn, I think it had the capacity to even wake the dead from their graves.


    Half an hourter another horn red, a little lighter asking us to collect our breakfast.


    I went to get my breakfast along with the others. Since it was my first day, I decided to eat outside along with the other ves instead of taking the food home.


    But s! None but the former ountant Cameron joined me or even asked for anything. There were about a couple of hundred people easily, not every one of them from the earth, obviously, but at least some of them should be. None came to greet the neers. They were busy with their food andcked time for greetings.


    Moreover, the guards on standby made sure we filled our stomachs in time, as everyone did so, keeping our mouths shut. Well, Cameron and I tried to talk in whispers, but a few res from the cold-eyed guards stopped the former ountant after a brief exchange.


    Oh, right, I forgot to mention the food. Well, it wasn''t awful, but nothing that desirable either. It was something like a dumpling made of wheat and other stuff I didn''t know. Other than tasting a bit sweet, I found no redeeming vour.


    Honesty, the meals I got through my beating days were way better than this. Then again, those were probably leftovers from the big boys, while this was a bona fide ve meal.


    Anyway, I barely finished my fourth dumpling and still left with two when the horn red. Every one of the ves stood up. I blinked to find Cameron standing up again. I groaned and stood up as well, considering this was another moment where I could get beaten up just for being a little defiant.


    I hid the dumplings in my clothes as a group of guards showed us the path to the mining zone. Every one of us marched behind them to the mining work silently. The march took a quarter of an hour, as the mining ground was much deeper underground. It was hotter too, easily over fifty degree Celsius.


    I was handed a pickaxe and a trolley much like the others I saw yesterday and told to fill the trolley or else I would get beaten up. Anything less than a half-filled trolley would earn me tenshings, and the number would umte if I fail regrly.


    That didn''t seem hard, to be honest, at least notpared to the ball-crushing ritual.


    However, I was thoroughly mistaken about this entire business. Not about theshing part, but about how hard mining was for most normal people.


    So I went to mine with the intention of filling the whole trolley to gain some allowances, unaware of how tough the stones could be.


    It wasn''t until I rammed the pickaxe a dozen times with no result that I figured out how much I wascking in the matter of physicality. Not to mention, one of my hands was in no shape to do anything. That was my preferred hand, too.


    With just the right hand, I barely managed to create some marks on the stone. Better than dents, but still of no use.


    Worse, the glittering stones weren''t in the open either. Most of the ones that were in the open were already mined, leaving me and my twopanions in misery.


    Cameron was in no better condition to work either, although he could use both of his hands. He was pushing himself hard against the stone, beating his pickaxe on the same spot again and again.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The insane man was in the best state among us, though he wasn''t asrgely built as me, or had a trained physique like Cameron. He was doing well.


    However, the first result came from Cameron, after relentlessly picking on the same spot for about five minutes. It was a fist size stone, resembling the appearance of sunstones, although it was a totally different thing.


    Cameron held it up, inspecting hard. "This is more fragile than it looks," he said finally. "At leastpared to the stones."


    I came forward to check on the glittering gem as well. Cameron let me take a look, passing it to me. I appreciated that, though fully aware I have to give it back to him.


    Anyway, the sunstone-like gem had a crystallised form, but it was much more fragile like iodine, instead of an actual sunstone. Whatever it was, I don''t think we have it on our periodic table. Well, it was apound matter, most probably, too foreign for me to detect anything.


    "How much do you think this thing costs?" I asked the former ountant. Apparently, Cameron used to deal in millions, so he should have a better perspective about this than me.


    "Ick information to determine that," Cameron replied as I winced. "This doesn''t appear like fossil fuel to me, though I think their use is simr, considering all the lights and other equipment I saw seemed to take these stones as fuel. I guess the value would depend on how much a stone like this wouldst on those light devices."


    "They don''t seem that enduring to me," I said. "Still should be more valuable than petroleum and other stuff."


    "That''s a given," Cameron said. "Since those powerful men that could literally wield magic went out of their way to enve us for this, these should be pretty valuable."


    Something valuable to even those that could wield magic. I mused.


    "What can that mean? What could these stones be, then?" I muttered. "Manifestation of magic?"


    Both of usughed at that as I tossed back the stone. We weren''t aware at that time, but our guess was quite close to the truth.


    However, in no way in our right mind would we think they would leave us to something that could have literal use to practitioners like them so easily.


    _________


    We have a volume title now.


    The Left Hand of Cmity


    This is final, and the first volume will take. I don''t know . . . another 50K words to end, probably.

 Chapter 100 097 Achievement Unlocked! (4)

    Two hours into the mining and I barely had four fist-sized crystallised stones to show for it. I''m definitely getting thatshing.


    Well, others'' luck was no better, either. Cameron got about a bucketful of crystallised stones, and that made him pant like a dying man. He was resting next to his trolley now, breathing heavily.


    303, the insane man, was still at it, and his collection wasn''t that far off from Cameron either. I reckoned he would beat the former ountant just with the intensity of his work.


    They would probably make it if they worked an extra two hours. Well, it was allowed, though I wasn''t sure if their body would allow that.


    Anyway, it was obviously the worst for me. With just one hand, I wasn''t capable of producing the strength required to pick for a longer period of time. So I dedicated myself to using the most potent weapon in my arsenal. My head.


    No, I wasn''t going to ram my head against the stonewalls. I''m not that stupid.


    I was talking about my big-brainpower.


    Evidently, whatever I could think of the others who came before me should have thought in their long run as well. So I didn''t use my brain power much and decided to watch how others were working. I could pick up some cheat codes from them. I hoped.


    Apparently, nobody was working around us or behind us. Most people went deeper. That led me to believe that the deeper you go, the more fruitful your collection would be. However, there was a terrible constraint as well. The temperature rose drastically as we went down. By we meant me and Cameron.


    The air was stuffy, too. Just staying there for a longer period of time would trouble my breathing, much less working in such situations. Definitely, the heat was the worst.


    Just a couple of hundred metres deeper and we were already getting heated up. It was unbearable to the point where the most I could endure was a few minutes. And other people were mining there. Their hands moved in unrelenting motions as glittering crystallised stones came out every once in a while.


    "How are they enduring?" Cameron muttered.


    "These people are built differently," I concluded.


    Although most people were soaking, most seemed like people of this realm as well. Their build was just about the same as the average earthling, though through very careful observation I could make the distinction.


    They were fairly built and somewhat prettier than the average earthling. Their endurance and body-to-muscle mass were better as well. Then came bone density. I think this world is muchrger than the earth, as its gravity was at least 1.2 to 1.4 times Earths.


    I was mostly beaten up badly or not in a fair state to think all this till that point. Anyway, you guys are probably confused having no concept of gravity. Well, for you barbarian, I''ll dumb it down.


    Apparently, gravity ys a big role in regting blood pressure and bone density. Since I came from a world with less gravity than yours, my bones had a lower mineral density than that of a native. How would that affect me, you ask?


    Well, bone density affects most weight-bearing features of us humans. Since my bones have a lower density than natives, and I''m in a higher gravity world, it would make me sluggish, easy to exhaust and always tired. It has a worse effect on blood pressure as well, which in retrospect influences the brain. It was nothing good; I promise you.


    In case you''re wondering, it''s beatable with purposeful exercise and adaptation. In case you failed to adapt, then you''ll be crippled and die a slow death. The people here had no kindness or patience. They would throw you away before you be a burden.


    Linlin, remember to remind me to exin more about this. I can''t let my disciple stay barbarian, after all.


    Anyway, back to the story.


    "Let''s go to where earthlings are mining," I said, and we took a different route in the adjacent direction. Moving the trolley was no easy job, either. I couldn''t say I ever worked this hard in my life.


    We moved through the stone splinters and debris, pushing the trolley with us. We did find a few fellow earthlings, but they were unapproachable just by the way they were working relentlessly.


    We went to work side by side there too, but cold gazes from them stopped us on our track. Those looks weren''t weing at all, and I was pretty sure they would do something if we didn''t leave them to their mining. Well, life was so hard there, they hardly cared about being a prick.


    So atst, after loitering for a few more minutes, we got a rtively better spot. Although a few degrees warmer, it should produce better results.<novelnext></novelnext>


    We got to work, and we did produce better results. Cameron would probably make it in time, though he would have to stay bedridden the rest of the time after this. My situation wasn''t any better. Actually, it was worse. I wasn''t any bit resistant to the high temperaturepared to Cameron.


    Although I produced better results, as finally, my trolley held some weight of the crystallised stones, it still wouldn''t make it by arge margin. Crap, I would get beaten to death at this rate.


    No, I''m not being dramatic. That actually happened multiple times. People won''t make it if they don''t make the quota for about a week or so. There was no way I was seeing myself growing in strength in just a week. Not to mention, my left hand would take a month at the very least to heal properly and be workable again.


    "Fuck!" I screamed as realisation dawned on me. Again, sorry for the profanity, but I got to show my frustration somehow. Linlin, don''t look down on your master for this.


    "I won''t," Xiaolin said as Gale smiled. "Then, Master, how did you make it? Did you learn to weird Qi on those seven days and miraculously saved yourself?"


    "That is still far away," Gale said and brought out a drink from his void lock. All the narration made his throat sore, although he was more than half a magical entity himself. There was a theory on why that too. We''ll get to that at ater date. "No, I haven''t managed to weird Qi. I didn''t even know what Qi was or even the basic theory behind cycling at that time. How can you expect me to wield Qi? I was no secret son of some sage, either.


    "Unlike the Dragon Prince, mines weren''t really a ce full of fortuitous encounters either."


    "Then how did you manage to save yourself?" Xiaolin asked with a quizzical expression. "Did that Cameron Guy help you?"


    "Nah, Cam''s hand was full with taking care of his quota to help me," Gale said. "But you''re thinking on the correct line. . . Someone did help me. . . Someone came out of nowhere and became my guardian angel. . . ."


    "Let me guess," Wang Li chimed in, "is it one of those women you love that others didn''t have the gall to speak to?"


    She remembered that, didn''t she? From the looks of his disciple''s expression, she remembered that, too. ''Damn, me and my big mouth! It''s going to be so embarrassing.''


    "Why aren''t you answering?" she asked again. "Did I hit the bullseye?"


    "Perhaps, perhaps not. Don''t ask spoilery questions. Anyway, back to my narration . . .


    After seeing no way to solve my problem, I decided I needed to do something drastic to get out of there. Of course, I wasn''t nning to get out there that day. . . I could endure a few dozenshes. Thankfully, the punishment only umted 10shes more with each day. I had to thank Rips, Kiln and a few others for making me endurable.


    "I hope you guys choke on your nicer food and drop-dead," I hoped for them.


    Anyway, as I was crazing over to discover some way to solve my issue with no blood when my guardian angel showed up. . .


    Don''t be mistaken, even if she didn''t have the wings to show for it. . .


    It was a woman in soaking grey robes. She was ck-skinned, beautiful with her ck shorthair that seemed to have lost its colour after working too many hours in this mine. But she was beautiful.


    "I knew it," Wang Li said in a victorious tone. "I knew it was a woman."


    ______________


    Achievement Unlocked! 100 chapters. Although they are short and mostly parts of a chapter, it is still a small achievement.


    In case you don''t know, we have discord now. I n on publishing my other stories¡ªwhich are: Reincarnated with the Unrivalled Thief System (I know it''s a generic name, I''m working on it) and Apotheosis Online¡ªthere for free.


    Of course, the release rate won''t be as fast as this one, but the chapter will be a bit longer. I have like 20 chapters on AP already. . .


    These extra words don''t cost you coins. . .

 Chapter 101 098 Achievement Unlocked! (5)

    She was pushing a trolley of her own. The trolley wasn''t even half full, though the colour of the crystallised stones was a bit different. Instead of being yellowish orange, they were a darker shade of orange, crimson would be the better term to describe them.


    Apart from her, there was another person, a dark man, simrly tall as me, with a rough beard growing on his face for some time now. He didn''t have a trolley of his own, probably because they worked together to fill this much so far.


    Both of them were sweating profusely, wet robes stuck to their bodies, and even their skin swelled with longer exposure to the fiery atmosphere.


    The two neers noticed us two, but didn''t bother to acknowledge our presence at first. The woman dropped to the ground in exhaustion and started removing her clothes. She didn''t stop until her upper body only had modest underclothes to hide her bosoms. The underclothes were wet too and glued to her alluring shape.


    She didn''t mind twoplete strangers there, gawking at her. She justid t there for a few minutes. Too tired to care.


    The man wasn''t in any better shape, although he controlled his breathing in practised deep breathing. On second look, the woman was doing the same as well, justying t on the ground.


    "Oh, new boys," the man was the first to break the ice between them. He was a handsome fellow, tall, dark and had his shoulder-length hairs in locs. "From earth, boys?"


    "Yes," Cameron beat me to answer. "You''re from earth too?"


    Well, the question was rhetorical as both parties could already point that out. The man scanned the both of us first, from the injuries we bore to the numbers imprinted on the ve cor on our neck. In retrospect, I did the same. The man had the number 197, and the woman was with the previous number.


    "309 and 316," he said with utter annoyance. "They started to summon from the earth again."


    The woman lifted her head, hearing that out. "I have been quite some time and we are back in business again," she said. "How long has it been¡ªa year and six months, or more¡ªsince thest earthling appeared?"


    I wasn''t sure if the woman was doing it on purpose, but she was giving valuable information.


    "So how many this time around? We have a handful, I reckon, considering the gaps between your numbers."


    "No, just three so far," Cam said, trying to be as friendly as he could be.


    "As far as we are aware," I added. "Although I have seen them carrying dead bodies every now and then on my stay in that ce."


    A contemtive look appeared on both of the strangers'' faces. "How long do they let you stay where you''re summoned?" the man asked.


    "I wasn''t in my best shape to remember, but I was there for at least eight days," I replied.


    "Eight days?" The woman repeated. "That seemed unusual for them to let someone stay there for so long. Most of us that were summoned safely were sent away within a day or two."


    "So I was the only one that got the side quest of getting beaten up for a week?" I groaned at the unfairness. I wish I would have an opportunity to return those favours to Kips, Kiln, and the others.


    The woman, numbered 198, narrowed her eyes, but chose not to say anything.


    "Don''t mind him," Cameron said. "He likes to kid, even in the most terrible situations."


    "Hey, don''t speak like you know me. We literally only met for a few hours. It hasn''t been a full day yet."


    "So you don''t like to joke in terrible situations?" Cameron clicked his tongue. "I might not have a degree in psychology, but I understand human nature pretty well. I could see through you pretty easily, all these jokes are borne out of your coping mechanism."


    "But they are funny, though." I didn''t deny it. Although these jokes, borne unwittingly, being a student in psychology, I could tell whatever Cameron said was pretty much the truth.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Perhaps, they would be funny if I was in my living room, watching it on the television instead of living it with you."


    Our two predecessors watched us skit around with narrowed eyes.


    "Anyway boys, I have a few questions for you," Failure 197 said. "In return, we can give you some advice to survive. From the looks of your state, I can tell you the two are in dire need of that."


    "We''ll be delighted to get some advice," Cameron answered for both of us.


    "I''ll ask first," the woman said. "What year is it on earth currently?"


    "2025," I answered.


    "Six years have passed huh," the man said in a mncholic tone.


    "Only six years?" The woman snorted. "It felt like an eternity to me."


    "So, what has changed in the world?" The man continued. "Who''s the president now? Did we beat the virus? Who won the World Cup? . . ."


    "Does all this matter anymore?" Cameron couldn''t help but say, though he answered the question one after another.


    "So it turns out, it hasn''t grown any better," the man said. "Anyway, to an even more serious topic." He narrowed his eyes, staring at Cameron seriously. "Is Imagine Dragons still the best rock band of all time?"


    "They never were," I snorted.


    The woman had an annoyed expression on her face before and it spread to delight as she heard him. Whereas Cameron, who was rmed about the intensity in the man''s eyes, turned to me as if telling me to read the room.


    To the man''s credit, a disgusting expression crawled on his face. Still, he managed to keep it within himself.


    "I forgot to ask your name," he said. "What''s your name, mate?"


    "Gale," I said simply.


    "Gale," the man repeated. He shouted at the very next moment. "Fuck you, Gale!"


    "You''re full of shits, bloke," I told him as he snorted.


    "What about hip hop?" he asked again.


    I was about to answer, as it was something more of my study, but the woman groaned loudly,ing before us.


    __________


    I actually like Imagine Dragons, especially that song (Enemy) from Arcane. . I just don''t consider them the best. Also, I wanted to make the infinity war meme so badly, and they were the best candidate I could find.

 Chapter 102 099 Achievement Unlocked! (6)

    "What about hip hop?"


    I was about to answer, as it was something more of my liking, but the woman groaned loudly,ing before us.


    "Enough about stuff that doesn''t matter," she said. "Tell me more about your experience in this world so far." She specifically asked me. "Don''t leave any details."


    So I began expressing my traumatising experiences. All three of them listened with seriousness, but the man burst intoughter when I got to the ball-crushing ritual.


    "Man, you probablynded the most awful summoning," he said. "But you probably deserved it for your taste."


    "Only nine years old,old, listen to Imagine Dragons," I told him, "and think it''s the finest since music was ever created."


    "You take that back." The man came at me, glowering.


    "Sod off."


    The argument was about to take form, as the bloke seemed to like his stuff zealously. But the woman wasn''t having any of it, though. She pushed the man, who was easily twice her size, out of the way, and told me. "Continue."


    I raised an eyebrow at her strength and did as I was told, considering to earn some of their pity about my condition. Well, don''t judge me. It was life and death for me. I wouldn''t bat an eye even if I had to go even lower for survival.


    Anyway, this woman seemed to be very interested in the inner workings of the men that summoned us to this realm. Well, it was unusual not to be, but her curiosity seemed to have run deep. More than any of us. For anything, I was delighted to get out of there.


    "I can''t say if you are fortunate or unfortunate," she said after I finished narrating my story to her. "In one side, they helped you adapt to this world, while on the other they discarded you after seeing nothing of their interest."


    "They helped me?" I picked my brows. "Are you calling all the beating help, miss?"


    "There was the ball-crushing too," 197 added with a snicker. "Can you still have kids, mate?


    "Why don''t you ask your mum," I replied.


    To my delight, the woman cut off the man yet again. She seemed to be the boss of the two.


    "They fed you potions, did they not?" The woman said. "Do you know how long it takes for a normal earthling to adapt to the gravity and the atmosphere of this world?"


    "I don''t know, maybe a couple of years?" I wasn''t particrly knowledgeable about that science, nor did I have a prior experience like them to understand it. Two years was as well, I could guess.


    "Six months tells if a person can endure it or not, but most people do take a year or more," the girl answered. "However, you have already achieved more than half of that adaption in just seven days. . . ."


    The woman exined the things to me. So the beating really had some purpose behind it. Those men weren''t just being sadistic. But they were some sadistic twats, I was certain of it.


    Apparently, the constant getting beaten up and healing by those healing potions was one of the fastest ways to adapt to the gravity and atmosphere of this world.


    She wasn''t absolutely certain, but it seemed that the introduction of the healing potion into our system had a certain effect on the body. It changed the body for the best most of the time. It worked as a catalyst to raise the mineral bone density, although you would need good food along with it to make it work.


    As I heard all that, it kind of made sense to me. Those people, even though they left me to my devices as I was nothing but insignificant, they were doing all this deliberately. They were pushing me past my limit from day one, as if to acquire something totally unexpected of me.


    But why, though? Why help me adapt to this world quicker?


    I hadn''t even felt a grain of kindness from them. Or was I just too engrossed in my suffering to not see that?


    "They definitely have ulterior motives behind all those actions," the girl said, sounding absolutely certain. "Though I don''t think you need to be worried anymore. They discarded you after finding no redeeming qualities."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I snorted.


    "I''m sorry," the girl chuckled, "but was that my purpose?"


    "So they experimented on you and then discarded you," 197 said, as if it wasn''t clear to all of us at all. "They did you dirty. With that broken arm, I don''t see you surviving for much longer."


    He had already seen my trolley, which barely had a dozen or so crystallised gems. They probably understood more about what would happen to me than I could.


    "The only thing that can save you now is the pity of others," the girl said, "or a good healing potion."


    "I''d be delighted to have any of them," I said with a grunt.


    "Unfortunately, I found myself short on pity these days," the woman said in a sad tone. The same was true for most people, I could tell just from their looks.


    The man looked hopeless as well. Both of them backed their trolley on their way out, going back to the way they came from. Probably for another round of mining in the hotter region.


    But all that meant nothing to me. I bit my lips, and my jaw clenched. My fingers dug into my palms. I could see in their eyes how serious my case was.


    "If not pity," I shouted at their backs, "how about a loan, then?"


    They considered him for no longer than a blink of an eye and then shook their heads. They werepletely sure he was a drowning boat.


    "Sorry, Gale," she said. "I only gamble when I have a semnce of assurance."


    "Then you''re in luck," I said proudly. "I''m all about assurance. I can assure you, nobody can assure you more than I. Since all the beating and healing potions helped me adapt, I can easily earn back the stones, after my arm heals up, no?"


    But all my confidence in pleading was to no avail. These people have seen enough; they know it when they see a hopeless case.


    But I wasn''t in the mood to be disappointed.


    "If that fails, I can always pay with my body," I shouted.


    The woman stopped on her track and turn to look at me with an incredulous look. She gazed at my figure from head to toe, considering.


    I gave her reassurance with my most charming smile. She chuckled.


    "You made your case," she said. "But I don''t think you can handle a girl like me."


    "Try me," I shouted back.


    Sheughed again and fished out a fist-sized gem out of her trolley. She tossed it back to my trolley with that thin smile. "You have earned that."


    And then she left along with herpanion, who kept on giving me strange nces.


    I sighed.


    "By the way, my dear disciple," Gale said, breaking out of his narration, "I can reassure you, your master hadn''t sold his body for survival."


    _______

 Chapter 103 100 Fool (1) - NSFW

    NSFW/Explicit


    ___________


    Gale''s whole body quivered, savouring the warmth and soft texture of her skin. He caressed, kneaded, and stroked, but he didn''t get enough of the tantalising curves. She shivered below him, letting out breathless whimpers.


    Gale moved his hands over her hips, sizing her up, kneading them to his desire. Soft lips found his chest as she showered his chest with kisses, wiggling her tongue at his nipples. She was short, but definitely wasn''t losing out on passion.


    One of his palms rose higher and found her bosom while his lips searched for the other one of its pair. Gale''s right hand kneaded her bountiful breast as he pressed harder, his lips moving to lick every bit of her skin.


    She shivered harder, rising to meet his desire, his passion, spreading warmth to every part of his body.


    His right hand was on her supple breast as he sucked the left one as if his life depended on it. She moaned, her soft hand stroking his hair, pulling him closer with every motion of his tongue. Her moan rose as a hotness touched herher region.


    Her palm went out of its way to find the hot prick raging against her skin. She gave it a little squeeze as his mouth left her nipple to kiss her lips. Two tongues yed with one another, none wanted to lose out to one other.


    Passion rose as they got bolder. Her palm explored his prick, squeezing it up and down, while Gale explored her, his excitement rose with how his every touch was making her shiver.


    Gale groaned in pleasure and pinned her beneath me. She gasped as Gale kissed his way downwards. She didn''t want to let go of his hot prick, still squeezing. Gale shrugged her hands off as his mouth found her sex.


    She moaned aloud the very moment Gale began exploring. She tasted sweet as Gale explored her inner fold with his tongue and lips. Her hips twitched at every motion of Gale''s tongue as gasps escaped from her lips.


    Finally, unable to endure anymore, she gave a roll of her body to rise.


    Gale still wanted to pin her down and continue on his exploring, but her soft voice stopped him.


    "I . . ." she said, still breathless, "I want it. . ."


    Gale wanted it too, he wanted it so badly. His prick twitched, and so did his lips.


    "I don''t know," he said breathlessly. "I can''t control it. I''ll hurt you. . ."


    "Please," she hissed, "you need not to."


    Gale didn''t hold back anymore, getting the green light.


    He jumped at her. Her supple breast pressed against his muscr chest and he found her. Her inside was hot and slippery. It squeezed him in. Gale moved his hips ever so slowly to have the most of the moment, although his instinct told him to ram as fast as he could and drown himself in her hotness.


    Gale went slower, savouring every bit of her inside, knowing there would be plenty of time to drown himself in it. He had to bend his back to kiss her, a demerit of his tall stature.


    Soft moans escaped from her lips, as hot breaths fell on his face as Gale squeezed in ever so slightly. Gale''s tempo rose with pleasure as she writhed against him.


    "I . . ." she tried to speak, but could only finish in moans as Gale braced himself inside her tight sex.


    Gale was about to flood her inside, unload everything, and then their eyes met. She waspletely teared up as saltwater dripped down her cheeks.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A current rushed into his head.


    ***


    Gale woke up, choking on his cry. He was breathless and found a tent standing in his pants. He blinked multiple times, breathing deeply to calm himself.


    Gale found water on the side table and drank a good amount of it, beforeying back in bed to calm himselfpletely.


    "This doesn''t happen to me often," he muttered. No, not often; it was almost never. Not to mention all of it was still vivid in his mind. Their desire, his pleasure, her cry.


    Then again, it had been quite some time since he gotid. Thest time was before the war, before his affliction. It was somewhat perceivable for him to dream about such things.


    "I need to getid," Gale mumbled and rose up from the bed. He wasn''t going to get any sleep after this. Besides, there were barely a couple of hours left for sunrise. It was better to get some fresh air.


    Gale got out of his bedroom, cranking his neck and waist. He was about to leave to do some running or flying, but halted, his eyes darting towards the cultivation chamber he created for Xiaolin.


    The script formations inside were running.


    A frown crept to his brows as he shook his head, creeping towards the cultivation chamber. He needed to give this girl a good scolding, or else she wouldn''t understand what kind of trouble she would bring to herself.


    The door was locked from the inside, obviously.


    "Linlin, it''s enough already," he demanded of his disciple. "Open the door."


    Gale waited for a reply, but none came, deepening his frown.


    "Linlin, if you''re inside, open up."


    Again, no answer.


    Getting no reply, Gale pushed his way into the room, with the intention of giving a good scolding to his disciple for this kind of irresponsibility.


    However, what greeted him was the unconscious figure of Xiaolin, lying on the ground as thick spirit energy circled slowly around her unconscious body. Her robes were soaking in sweat and her skin was all red, swelling with the inability to hold on any longer.


    The irritation moved on to anxiety as Gale moved to her body. Her skin had started to tear up after she failed to endure the pressure from cycling with pure crystals.


    "Fool girl," he said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "If you wanted it so bad, you just had to tell me."


    He turned off all script formation, throwing a few strands of Qi around the controls, and rose, carrying her.


    _________

 Chapter 104 101 Fool (2)

    Xiaolin woke up, eyes blurring at the intensity of the light. She tried to cover her eyes with her palm, but the moment she tried, she broke into a soft groan. That little motion of her hand led her to squirm in pain.


    Blinking to adjust her sight, Xiaolin worked uppletely and found herself in her bed. The light wasn''t that intense either. She was in her loose nightgown as well, instead of her sleeveless practitioner robes. Her nose did pick up a thick herbal scent of ointments from her body, too.


    A terrible premonition came to her, as Xiaolin tried to rise up, moaning through her pain. Every part of her body ached. Her muscles were all sore and still had some tears and swelling.


    Xiaolin was barely managing to arch her body up and lean on the headboard of the bed when the door to her room opened and entered a tall man with a cold look in his eyes. He had a ss full of herbal drink on his palm as he was stirring it with a spoon.


    Xiaolin swallowed unconsciously, squirming down to hide.


    "Layfortably," her master told her straightforwardly.


    Xiaolin abided, getting back to the position of how she was a few moments ago. She hid, clutching the nket over her face. Not in her eyes though, as she could still steal a nce towards her master.


    Her master was sitting just next to her on the bed, stirring the drink silently with a thoughtful look. The more the silence grew, the more serious it felt for her. Xiaolin would want anything for the silence to break. But she couldn''t collect her courage to do it on her own.


    She tried to steal another nce at her Master, but their eyes met the moment she looked in his direction.


    "Master, I. . ." her voice trailed off as she bit her lips.


    "How are you feeling?" Gale asked.


    "Sore," she said, and couldn''t help but add, "But I believe I''ll heal up today and will be able to go back to practising tomorrow."


    Her master snorted, not humorously like when her elder sister jabbed at him with her sharp remarks, but it was more on the colder side.


    "Apparently, your belief is wed," he said atst. "But I''m not the least bit surprised by that. What do you think you''ll aplish cycling like a maniac? Do you believe you''ll rectify all the ws of your constitution just by pushing yourself harder, even to the brink of breaking down?"


    "Master, I . . ." Xiaolin couldn''t find the words to describe.


    "You call me master, but do you even have a little belief in me?"


    "Master," Xiaolin said again, her eyes turning watery. "You''re the only one who believed in me. I don''t want to disappoint you."


    "But you already did," his master replied in an apathetic tone, "by disregarding my teachings. No, just ignore me, as I hardly fit the role of a Master. But did it ever ur to you what you''re doing to yourself? You still don''t seem to realise what happened to you, do you?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale lifted the nket off her and held her arm up. He pointed towards a tear that appeared barely closed, though still swelling in redness.


    "What do you think this is?" he said as he held her up to let her sit, leaning against the headboard. She clenched her jaw to not squirm in her agony in front of him, not that her master hadn''t been soft. "Do you think that is the only tear?"


    He then opened her night robe and let her see her t belly full of red swellings and tears, covered in ointments.


    Xiaolin didn''t even consider blushing in shame with how her master scowled at her with those intense serious gazes.


    "You think these are nothing, do you?" Gale asked. "Then let me tell you how serious these are. These tears should have healed after the healing potion I fed you, but they barely closed up after half an hour. Do you know why that is?


    "Because you pushed your body way past its limit to let it ept anything more. Your body was on the brink of breaking down if it were anything but the mildest healing potion I had with me. And it barely worked, but it didn''t end there. The terrible amount of energy you soaked up couldn''t go easily out of your body. How do you think they got out then?"


    "The tears?" Xiaolin''s eyes widened.


    "Exactly," Gale said. "And that''s even after I helped stabilise your channels. Energy has to tear through your skin to get out. Do you think it''s something that happens to practitioners every day? Even if you want to practise and push yourself harder, shouldn''t you know when to stop?"


    "Master, I didn''t mean to disappoint you. I didn''t want to disappoint anyone," Xiaolin repeated the same words. "I thought I could endure. I thought I could just push a little more. But when I felt something was amiss, it was toote."


    Gale sucked in a deep breath. "Why?" he asked. "Tell me why? What motivates you to push yourself so hard that you won''t even look after yourself?"


    "It''s you, Master."


    Gale blinked at her.


    "Master, in your story, you described how you suffered, how much you had to get through every day to even get a wisp of Qi," Xiaolin said, tearing up. "How can I not be motivated hearing your story? How can I not try my best too, when all my suffering is insignificantpared to what you have to get through? I am nothingpared to everything you went through, and I haven''t even heard the end of it. If I don''t push harder, how can I even stand straight being your disciple?"


    "Fool girl," her master said, touching her on the cheek. He wiped her tears with his thumb. "It isn''t apetition."


    Gale''s eyes softened as he stared at his disciple nkly at her sheer stupidity. She was a fool, too. Much like him, to be honest.


    "Your elder sister was right," he said again, wiping her tears and covering her in the night robes. "I am a bad influence on you."

 Chapter 105 102 Fool (3)

    Gale held the ss to her mouth as Xiaolin drank the awfully bitter drink. She didn''tin even a little, even though her state didn''t let her ingest everything in one big gulp.


    Xiaolin had no clue what was in the drink to make it so bitter. It was like pure herbs without any superficial vour. Considering her condition wouldn''t let her digest anything potent, the drink should be some slow-working ingestion that would help her regain strength.


    "Do you need water?" her master asked after she finished swallowing.


    Xiaolin nodded as the bitter taste remained in her mouth.


    Gale poured water into a different ss, understanding her dilemma. He made her drink another ss of water, holding it to her lips.


    "Now tell me truthfully how you feel," her master asked in a softer tone after she finished.


    "Sore all over," Xiaolin answered. "It ached even with a little movement. I''mpletely exhausted."


    Gale nodded and was about to say something, but wiped her mouth with a napkin instead. Xiaolin felt being pampered like a child, but she had no strength to object.


    On second thought, she liked being pampered, not that she would admit it. Not to her master. Well, who doesn''t like to get pampered? She was certain it waspletely normal.


    "Your condition is more serious than it looks," Gale said. "Although I''m not a physician, I can easily tell you''ll be in no shape to do anything for at least a week. Even after the week, the recovery will be slower."


    Xiaolin bit her lips.


    "Your constitution differed more from a normal person, even more than I imagined. I hope the healer Sun Ziang promised will have time in the near future to check on you. There are many things a healer can do, that I couldn''t."


    "Master, I''ll be fine," Xiaolin said, even though she felt her facial muscle ache the more she used them.


    "I''m serious about this, Linlin. If you even ingest a wisp of pure crystal before you recover, you''ll revert to your condition ofst night. You do have a good instinctual understanding of what to take and what not to, but it''s rather limited. If you let your body take any more drastic measures, it wouldn''t be any good, I promise you."


    "I can do regr cycling then?" Xiaolin asked.


    "Is that what you got out of that?" Gale grunted in displeasure. "No cycling until your aching stops, which would happen probably in a couple of days. Is that understood?"


    Xiaolin nodded heavily, but stopped midway as her neck ached.


    "Also, until then you have to take your medication seriously," Gale continued. "Healing potion would do no good, so we have to make it do with ointment and herbal drinks."


    Xiaolin nodded and considered inquiring the question she was most curious about.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Master," Xiaolin tried hard to not get flustered asking, though to no avail. "Did you change my robes and use the ointments on me?"


    "Obviously," her master said, making Xiaolin hide her face under the cover in shame. "Obviously, there was no one present at that time, but no, I haven''t changed your clothes or rubbed the ointments on you. However, I did feed you a healing potion and helped you channel out the excessive energy."


    "Then who?" she asked, her face hidden under the cover, unaware helping another person channel their energy is just as much, if not more intimate.


    "You can be rest assured it was a woman," her master said. "You''ll probably meet herter when shees back to rub the ointment and help you bathe."


    "Do I know her?"


    "Have you ever seen a ghostly person fully cloaked in ck?" Gale asked. The look ofplete obliviousness was an answer enough. "Then you don''t know her. But don''t be afraid. Even though her getup is enough to scare children, she''s a good person.


    "Anyway, she cost quite some money, not that I care, but I employed her for something else. Moreover, she only helped because you''re in dire need. She won''t be here forever. That''s why I decided to hire a maid to take care of you."


    "Master, there''s no need."


    "I haven''t asked for your consent," Gale rebuked her. "The decision is final. Now I just need to look for a good person who can take care of you and rebuke you in my stead when I''m not there. Also, when you heal up, it''s better if there''s someone for you to talk to and help you practise. I should be able to find at least one copper ranker maid for you from town"


    Xiaolin pouted. Shouldn''t the maid listen to her, instead of what her master was expressing?


    Her only constion was that her master would probably need to spend a lot of time to get a maid like that. Not to mention, most practitioners would never leave their spirit arts to stay in the farnd in the middle of nowhere.


    Then again, Xiaolin was fully aware of her master''s means. He could just throw away a couple of hundreds of silver marks and there would be a dozen girls ready to throw themselves at him. As far as she was aware, some wouldn''t even mind bedding him if he spent that much just on a maid.


    Xiaolin felt there was a need to speak about how she became like this. He was fully away of her situation. Of course, she was afraid he would rebuke him again, and not to mention her facial muscles ached too.


    She decided she would tell him after the body would let her express herselfpletely freely without the aching.


    "I have confiscated the pure crystal and all the other coins from the chamber, so don''t think you can do as you please on my back from now on." Leaving those words, her master left the room.


    Xiaolin bit her lips and slid back to herfortable position on the bed. And did nothing.


    It wasn''t until a couple of hourster the door of her room opened. Xiaolin had been bored to death just resting, even the sleep hadn''te easier.


    Her master came in with a person that seemed to reside in a totally different realm.

 Chapter 106 103 Fool (4)

    The sound of muffled wailing reverberated from the room as Gale waited outside, fidgeting with his foot against the floor. He left Twilight to apply ointment on Xiaolin a few minutes ago and his disciple had been wailing since then.


    It was never really easy to hear someone cry, but Gale couldn''t do anything about it. There was no medicine that could relieve her pain, with no side effects. The drink he gave should soothe the pain as it takes effect, but it wouldn''t be until Twilight finished with applying the herbal ointment all over her.


    Xiaolin had brought this upon herself, overestimating her own endurance. However, this event would give her a broad perspective and let her through a catharsis. Most of her cells had calmed down already, though Gale had detected the restlessness in her blood cells, getting through some purging process.


    This incident naturally changed her. Well, change was a broad word. It most probably altered her physique a little. Xiaolin could probably endure pure crystals a little more, though Gale would leave her a couple of weeks to rest before he would let her practice again.


    Gale''s musing came to a halt as the door of the room opened. Unlike her usual way, which was to disappear using her spiritual nature, Twilight got out of the room like a normal person opening the door.


    "Don''t just leave yet," Gale told her as he got into the room to check on his disciple. "I have something to discuss with you."


    Xiaolin''s body was covered in the nket, as she was probably only in her underclothes after applying the ointment to her body. A thick herbal scent was all over the room, as Xiaolin looked at him with teary eyes. Tears dripped down her cheek even where Twilight applied the ointment, since her cheeks bore tear marks as well.


    "It''s burning," Xiaolin barely managed to say. "My skin is burning."


    "You''ll be alright," Gale said and considered. After a second thought, he touched her on the cheek and released his second fate lock, Guardian Emblem.


    The Guardian Emblem is probably one of the best fate locks in the world in the region of Physique. It lets him empower his physical power and Qi reinforcement to a tremendous degree. With just this, it could have been one of the most tempting fate locks, not that Guardian Hounds were that easy to find.


    The point was that the said effect wasn''t really the primary function of the fate lock. The primary function was what the name suggested. It was guarding, protecting¨Cthe more Gale acted on ords to that, the more powerful Vale and the fate-lock would be.


    The opposite was true as well. His bond with Vale would weaken with the fate lock if he gave in to wanton killings. Though it was moreplicated than that. Sometimes, no almost most times, Gale had to kill to protect. On none of those asions, his fate lock had weakened, nor Vale became unrest.


    The bond had more to do with the principal and living up to them. Gale made a couple of mistakes before learning that.


    Anyway, the reason the point was relevant here: Gale was using the Guardian emblem to protect his disciple from the burning ache. Gale wasn''t fully aware of what he was doing, save for applying the Guardian Emblem to Xiaolin with the Intent of protecting her.


    Fate locks were tooplicated for him to make sense ofpletely, even though he could artificially create fate locks. Well, they weren''t asplicated as Guardian Emblem or any of his other two fate locks.


    The Void lock on his left palm was likely the leastplicated fate lock of the three, though it involved dimensionws, one of the mostplicatedws of the universe.


    Anyway, it seemed the guardian emblem was working as the ghastly expression on his disciple''s face vanished slowly as she breathed deeply. Of course, the Guardian Emblem wasn''t healing Xiaolin, merely protecting her from the agony. She would need just as much time to heal.


    Gale continued on like that for a few minutes, as an itch started to grow in his chest. A frown appeared on his brows.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I didn''t know I could do this," he muttered, shrugging off the burning pain growing in his chest. So by protecting his disciple from the pain, he was shielding her with himself on the line.


    Well, the pain wasn''t anything enduring, though. With the gold body and his tolerance, it was barely a burning itch in his chest. Gale had gone through far worse than that toin about that.


    Gale only stopped protecting after the burning ache decreased as he could literally feel it through the fate lock. Xiaolin was giving his big eyes in his direction, unsure what to say.


    Gale caressed her hair and wiped her tears off. "Rest now. I''ll make something delicious for you to eat."


    Gale found Twilight standing at the door in her awkwardly edgy presence.


    "Thank you for this," Gale said. "I''ll surely remember to add a good tip to your services."


    "No need," she said, not even looking in his direction.


    "Anyway, you have to do this for two more days. After that, I think Xiaolin would have enough energy to apply the ointment on her own. Although I would like to ask you to work as her handmaid for about a week if you weren''t so unnerving to normal people and weren''t too good at your job. Still, thank you."


    Twilight nodded. "Are you finished?"


    "Oh right, I forgot to ask, are you free to go on a long expedition?" Gale asked, recalling the case of Sun Ziang. "The pay will be good, and I think your presence will help that bloke quite a lot."


    "Details," Twilight uttered a word.


    "It hasn''t been decided yet," Gale started to exin about the expedition and who it was from.


    Twilight was considered after hearing everything. "Since there''s no urgency," she said in her grave tone, "I''ll let you knowter."


    "Alright," Gale said. "That reminds me, what happened to Shi Fan, is he¨C"


    The ck-cloaked figure disappeared before Gale could finish.


    Gale clicked his tongue.

 Chapter 107 104 Rune (1)

    A couple of days passed and Xiaolin could walk again, though far from recoveringpletely. Well, she could now cycle quietly to ease her recovery, but anything too heavy would revert to her condition for a couple of days again.


    Xiaolin had been very careful about this, not that Gale would ever let her do anything drastic again. He had put a bracelet on her wrist that would break on a loud rm whenever she crossed a threshold of speed in her cycling, alerting him to rebuke her again.


    The rm on the bracelet only red twice. First was when Xiaolin wasn''t aware of its feature, and the next time was simply because Xiaolin wasn''t paying much attention to her cycling.


    Gale also wouldn''t let her umte new energy in her body. Apart from all this, she had another serious concern these days. The scars that were left behind after her skin tore up.


    Unfortunately, it seemed the tear marks wouldn''t be healed that easily. Thankfully, the tear marks on her face were rather thin, and they seemed to have added to her innocence, somehow. A brutish blush on both cheeks seemed almost natural from a little distance away.


    Well, a good quality potion would do her good to heal those, but there was a time for that after she healspletely. Though topletely remove the tear marks, she had to advance to copper. The advancement metamorphosis was the easiest way to shrug away all that''s wrong about a practitioner''s physique.


    Although copper advancement wasn''t as strong as iron, it should be able to recover all skin injuries and marks.


    Other than that, there was a slight issue she was facing these days. How to spend the day without getting bored? That was something that kept her awake at night these days. In the Inn, at least she had something to do to spend her spare time, but since she couldn''t practise now, Xiaolin was left with all the hours with nothing to do.


    Well, after she could walk, she would watch Gale from her couch as he worked on his scribing with an intensity in her eyes, as if she couldn''t wait till she learned scribing.


    "Well, this is too early for you to learn," Gale said and considered, staring at all his tools. "But there''s no harm in introducing the tools and what I do with them. But first, you must know what scribing is. Do you know what it is?"


    "It is the divinenguage left behind by gods," Xiaolin gave a textbook answer, "that can be used in various ways to make various tools or apply them in different spirit arts and techniques."


    Gale snorted. "It''s justplicated symmetrical drawings, the gods be damned if they take credit for these too."


    Xiaolinughed sweetly, finding her master back to his usual humorous behaviour for the first time after her injury.


    "That reminds me," Gale said, turning towards her. "Do you have an answer to the question I gave you about gods?"


    About a week ago, Gale asked his disciple a question which had no wrong answers. He asked her if Gods are kible or not. For reflexive thinking only, he wasn''t looking for gods to kill. Not to mention, it was easier to find conscience in the fiends than gods in the world.


    "Master, I have an answer," Xiaolin said. These past couple of days, she just had too much time in hand to just rest, so it was mostly thinking she was doing.


    "So, what is your answer?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes, gods are kible," his disciple said.


    Gale nodded thoughtfully. Xiaolin couldn''t detect anything from his expression. It was as simple as him tasting gravy while cooking. "What are the facts behind your answer?"


    "Obviously, we grew up learning to worship divinity," Xiaolin began collecting her thoughts, "but to fear them as well. Fear their wrath, fear their disputes as when gods fight among themselves catastrophe befallsmon people and practitioners alike. There were various legends and myths about gods fighting. If they are imperishable, then what''s the point of the fights? Why are there songs about heroes ying evil gods?"


    Gale nodded as her reasoning was sound, though a little na?¡¥ve, but that was because of theck of knowledge. Nothing else.


    Gale found his disciple looking at him with a look as if asking for praise. Gale obliged. "As I mentioned," he said, "there''s no wrong answer to the question. Still, good job on your reasoning. Most people give something edgy as an answer."


    "Master, what is your answer to the question?"


    "That I''ll tell you after you answer my next question," Gale said. "So the next question: What''s the difference between a god and a mortal if the god is perishable?"


    "The rank of spirit arts?" Xiaolin answered immediately.


    "These questions aren''t just for guessing. Answer me at a letter date." Gale smiled. "Anyway, back to scripts. You aren''t wrong about them being anguage. Obviously, it wasn''t like anymonnguage, but something profound and gibberish unless you use it the correct way.


    "So now what is the right way? The answer is a binding of two rune letters in perfect symmetrical order. Let me show you."


    Gale drew Qi to his fingers and drew with it on the floor under her watchful gaze. The drawing wasn''tplicated at all. It was a thin, runic pattern. Gale drew another identical rune on its right and bound them together in a symmetrical form.


    "Now I need a weight," Gale said and looked around to find a ss on the side table. With a flick of his finger, the ss flew from the table to his palm along with a wisp of wind. "Look closely."


    Gale didn''t need to tell her that, as she was already paying close attention. Gale held the ss above the rune pattern only about a metre above. Under his disciple''s stare, Gale dropped the ss into the runic pattern.


    Xiaolin already foresaw him dropping the grass, but what happened next was totally unexpected, even though she was expecting something magical.


    The pattern lit up in a faint blue light the moment the ss made contact with it. Then the runes buzzed with a thrusting force upwards as the ss flung up straight, defying gravity.

 Chapter 108 105 Runes (2)

    Gale caught the ss before it could drop and sent it back to where he summoned it from.


    "How?"


    Xiaolin had an incredulous fascination on her face the whole time. She crept closer to the burn marks left behind by the runic scripts on the floor. She could only detect the residual Qi flow there and nothing else.


    Obviously, she wasn''t even anywhere near detecting any of this. Many higher-ranked practitioners were hopeless about this as well, so she didn''t take it too hard.


    "What do you think?" Gale asked.


    "That seemed a little too simple," Xiaolin said truthfully. "You simply drew that, barely using any Qi. The little wisp of energy wouldn''t be enough to even make another person itch. Yet the script sent the ss flying."


    "Be careful with your assumptions, dear Disciple," Gale said with a thin smile. "I can kill a person and still be left with energy with the amount I used in the script."


    Xiaolin was sceptical hearing that out, and that was probably the first time. Gale had a prominent ce in Xiaolin''s heart, and she believed himpletely on most asions, but that wasn''t the case with the trick just now.


    Simply because she had a close intimacy with energy. She could tell how much energy was used at a close inspection. The amount used in the script was really minuscule, about a twentieth of what Gale used to flick the ss in his direction.


    "How will you do it?" she couldn''t help but ask.


    "You want to hear about how your master kills people?" Gale widened his eyes. "That''s very deplorable of you, Disciple."


    "Master," Xiaolin brooded, knowing her master was joking. She learned two things after her injury about her master. He couldn''t endure tears. And the second was cuteness. He couldn''t hold himself before something cute.


    ? Her master had shown her pictures of Vale when he was only like a kitten, Vale in different cute costumes and poses yesterday. Sometimes with a sword clutched in his mouth, sometimes in a traditional robe, in every one of them, Vale was the cutest thing the world has sent his way. There were pictures of Rong''er riding Vale as well.


    With how her master talked about all this, it wasn''t difficult for her to figure out he figure out Gale adored cute things.


    Well, Xiaolin was cute too. She had been hearing that her whole life; before she cared nothing about that, her focus was absolutely on practising spirit arts, however, that changed after her injury.


    Xiaolin found it was easier to get what she wanted from her master by acting cute. It was a terrible weapon against such a brutish man. She had to use it sparingly, in case he grew an immunity to her cuteness.


    Galeughed and gestured to her to pay close attention again. "See this," he said and pointed his finger towards the ironwood wall.


    Xiaolin didn''t know if she blinked or totally missed it, but a momentter she found a finger-deep hole in the ironwood. She drew closer to the wall and examined it closely. She did find the residual burning smell of Qi there as well.


    Her master acted too quickly for her even to see, much less detect. However, she hadn''t noticed any high movement of energy.


    "You probably won''t be able to detect how much Qi I used unlike the other time, but I assure you it''s just about the same as the script," Gale informed her.


    "Is it really this easy to make a hole in ironwood?" Xiaolin asked.


    Afterying reinforcement scripts, ironwood was just as tough as iron. Although the house was standing on thend for over fifteen years and much of the scripts faded, the wood was still tough, far tougher than a normal human.


    "They are moreplicated than they look," Gale said. "Especially the little script. It is way harder than the Qi bullet."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "But they look so easy and effortless for you, master." Xiaolin was yet again in awe. There was still too much for her to learn.


    "Effortless is pping someone to death," Gale snorted. "This takes mental fortitude. And of course, practice. Anyway, should we go back to the script?"


    Xiaolin nodded and got back to her seat while Gale drew the same pattern in mid-air. It was almost invisible, and although Xiaolin could smell it, she could barely see it, until Gale diluted it with the blue energy from his third fate lock to make it visible.


    "This is a 2^3 Reverse Gravity script," Gale said. "It isn''t something an aspiring scriber learns on their first, second or even third steps. I chose this merely because it looks cool on demonstrations. Anyway, disciple, you said this is simple, right?"


    Xiaolin nodded and waited to be refuted.


    Gale flicked his finger as the blue light in the script spread before her, widening to contain her full sight. Gale literally magnified the script, providing more Qi into them.


    "This is the exact 2^3 script just in a magnifying form," Gale said. "Does this look easy to you?"


    Xiaolin was awed at the disy. From outside what looked like just one strand of Qi before, now appears as 8 as they interlocked together in smaller forms of the same pattern to form aplicated cycling pattern, moving in uniform order in an equilibrium.


    "Master, that smaller one had an eight-line structure like this too?"


    "Obviously. This is called a 2^3 structure. I''ll exin themter," Gale said. He left the bigger version on the air for her study. "This one is almost useless, even though I spent a hundred times more energy on this."


    "Why?" Xiaolin perked her brows, eyes still on the revolving energy pattern. Unwittingly, she brought her palm towards it to feel it. But on that very contact with her skin, the script popped like a balloon, except there was no popping sound, just thin blue light flickering like a miniature firework.


    She turned to find her master smiling at her, almost smugly. "You said both of their scripts were identical. Then why?"


    "Another fact to learn about runes is equilibrium," Gale said, and drew two simr scripts again in the air. One smaller identical to the one he drew on the floor, and another gigantic. "From the outside eye, both of them seemed to be in equilibrium. However, that isn''t the case."


    Without her notice, the ss was in Gale''s palm yet again as he positioned the gigantic script before him and then the smaller one in a straight line.


    "This bigger one is too big to be in equilibrium with just 2^3 scripts or just an eight-line structured script," Gale said, and threw the ss at it.


    The ss broke through the big script as blue energy dissipated, however, when the ss made contact with the smaller script, a force thrust exactly the direction the ss came from and reverted it back to gale''s direction.


    "Hence this happens," Gale said, catching the ss back.


    ______________


    Thanks for reading me making magic out of nothing. Another chapter on exining runes.


    Thank you Reawakening for the high praise in the review.


    We prolly won''t make it to the 1000 unlock this month. Next month then . . .

 Chapter 109 106 Runes (3)

    "So space and bnce are very important for scripts," Xiaolin concluded.


    Gale nodded as he stored the ss where he took it from. The ss went through enough flying for the day.


    "The bigger form I showed just a moment ago would need at least a 2^6 or a 64-line structure to work properly," he said. "Or you can bind simpler scripts to make it, though it wouldn''t be simpler scripts anymore, but a script formation."


    "A 64-line structure?" Xiaolin repeated, eyes widening at the number. "That''s already eight times what you did before."


    "64 is barely the apprentice level, apprentice," Gale said with augh. "But don''t worry, these scripts hardly require creative minds. It''s like maths. Once you get the form understood, these all require a sound mind to do the calction. Although it was an entirely different case if you want to create something new, something nobody thought of before."


    That was the problem with the scripts. Gale hadn''t learned the scripts the right way. He unexpectedly got hold of a master scriber''s inheritance and learned almost everything from it, copying it thoroughly. Well, it wasn''t much of an inheritance. Unexpectedly, Gale came across theplete study of a master scriber.


    That was one of the reasons he was able to advance to a master scriber in four years.


    However, that was also the reason for his shaky foundation in scripts. The master scriber hadn''t left the correct way to learn to scribe in his notes, just many experiences and runes and theirbination, blueprints, and functions. Gale learned it like a monkey, coping with them in the fastest way possible.


    That didn''t leave much room for a creative mind to blossom. Gale tried to rectify that after learning the correct way of scripting, but you can''t unlearn something once you grasped itpletely. Besides, he had other concerns in thest few years to take care of.


    "64 is barely the beginner rank," Xiaolin repeated like a broken record yer. His disciple seemed to have heard nothing after hearing about the apprentice rank. She was still struck at the number.


    "Technically, 16 is the bare minimum to be an apprentice," Gale said. "Apprentices are divided into ranks. 64 is possible for the highest-ranking apprentice. While anything higher puts you on the pedestal of an actual scriber."


    Xiaolin nodded as curiosity blossomed on her face. "Master, how many can you make?"


    "I manage 256 these days, and that''s the minimum number to be a master scriber." That was also the minimum number required for an artificial fate lock.


    "256 lines in such a thin order," Xiaolin waspletely in awe. Now she knows what it took to be a scriber. The sheer amount ofplexity in just the 2^3 made her head swing. She literally couldn''t even imagine the next rank with her head. "How is that possible?"


    "Hence these tools." Gale showed her different kinds of weird-looking pens and chisel-like tools. There were handfuls of them. "These tools help to keep the binding intact even after apse from the scriber. Let me show you how these work."


    Gale sat down and picked up a chisel-like tool. He thought of a simpler form of script and started to make them inside the tool. Most of these tools could keep the raw script formation stored for a certain amount of time as well as assist in creatingplicated formations with simpler scripts.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although these tools help, they were still under the supervision of the scriber. So the chains break quite frequently if the scriber wasn''t paying attention while scribing.


    "Mental fortitude and spirit are the most needed factors for scribing," Gale said as he stood up with the scribing tool. "You are strong in both, Linlin, so I''m hoping to teach you more of this when you''re ready."


    "Master, when will I be ready?"


    "When your rank won''t be the weakness."


    Gale brought out some paper out of his void lock and crumbled it into a small ball. He put the paper roll into the hole his Qi bullet created in the ironwoods and then ran his scribing tool on it.


    Xiaolin could barely smell the Qi, but she couldn''t see anything. Anything save for the paper filling into the hole perfectly.


    "It''s a 2^6 strengthening script," Gale said. After imprinting the scripts into the paper-filled hole, Gale examined it carefully. "Now we just need to paint over it and there will be no difference."


    Then Gale started to introduce different kinds of runes and their functions, barely scratching the surface of runes, but he could already see Xiaolin getting fascinated with them. Well, she had seen nothing of the world. It didn''t take much for him to get her curiosity piqued.


    After about an hour when Gale had thrown enough knowledge at her, he decided it should be time to leave her to contemte. He was just about to leave her to that when she called her with solemnity in her eyes.


    "Master, I have to tell you something," Xiaolin said. She continued getting her master''s utmost attention. "It''s about the incident. That night, I was cycling normally with the pure crystal, however, after going on about it for about a quarter of an hour, something changed. The speed at which I was absorbing energy doubled, and it started to rise even after that on its own."


    Gale frowned as he heard her. What his disciple was implying shouldn''t be possible.


    "The energy went out of my control as I absorbed them on my own," Xiaolin said. "It was effortless, but excruciatingly painful. It didn''t take me more than a few seconds to pass out, and after that, I didn''t know what happened to me."


    "Hmm," Gale hummed, considering her case. He checked on her after she passed out. But he only sensed the things amiss with her, not everything she went through to get there. "Looks like we''ll need the healer sooner rather thanter."


    ________________


    The title change got approved, and now I''m missing the old one. Anyway, I think this new title suits the story better than the old one. Nothing about the story has changed, though.

 Chapter 110 107 Split (1)

    On the fourth day of her recovery, Gale reassessed her health and changed the bracelet to a newer one, which let her have some freedom in cycling energy. Well, fifty percent more to the initial twenty percent, so it was thirty percent now.


    Well, at least, she wouldn''t knowingly re the rm. Thest time was really embarrassing when she unwittingly proceeded to cycle at a faster rate during the bath.


    Her master hadn''t left until she stopped cycling back then.


    On the seventh day, he assessed her health again as a dumbfounded expression spread across his face. He removed the bracelet again with an uncertain look on his face. But unlike the other time, he didn''ttch a new one to her wrist but worked on that one.


    "Something wrong, master?" Xiaolin asked, picking her brows.


    Gale shook his head. "Probably something unexpectedly good," Gale said.


    They were on the roof of the mansion. After the ground floor became habitable, they shifted in, even though their personal room would be on the first floor. Well, even the half-baked state of the mansion provides more security than what the old house could ever provide.


    Well, after Vale came back, they had nothing to worry about, but they couldn''t always leave the security to the fluffy boy.


    "What is it?"


    "I needed to do a couple of tests to confirm this," Gale informed her, "but apparently, it seems your body went through some development thest few days after the incident. Well, it has probably been happening since the beginning of your cultivation with pure crystal. The incident was only a turning point."


    That means, even if Xiaolin listened to himpletely and stayed to her schedule, the incident was bound to happen at some point. Well, it wouldn''t be that radical, as Gale would be present by her side at that point to dissolve the matter before it esctes.


    "What development?" Xiaolin was curious. Obviously, it was her body, and she probably felt the change, even if intuitively.


    "Do you know why those stones are called pure crystals?" Gale asked instead. "Is is exactly what the name suggests."


    "It purifies the body?" It wasn''t that hard for Xiaolin to make the connection. "How is that possible, when it is mostly used to boost cycling speed?"


    "That''s a side effect of the purifying process," Gale said. "Well, magically speaking, the cycling process is required for purification."


    "But what does the purification do?"


    "It purifies the body and makes it more magical," Gale said with a smile. "And the more a practitioner''s body bes magical--"


    "The easier it gets for him to absorb energy," Xiaolinpleted. Her eyes sparkled. "Is that what happened to me?"


    "It happens to everyone when pure crystals are introduced into their system," Gale said, trying to tie down her enthusiasm. "However, the change is faint, almost unnoticeable for most people. It was so inefficient, people mostly forget that it has that effect on people as well. After all, a practitioner bes magical quicker through the advancement metamorphosis than through the purification process."


    To his estimates, most normal practitioners would need about a couple of hundred thousand gold marks worth of pure crystals toplete the purification which couldpete against a gold ranker''s body.


    However, as a third of the way through the purification process, most practitioners already be gold rankers through the boosted cycling speed. Well, in a way, spirit arts are the way to refine the body so that it can store more Qi. In that way, most of it made sense.<novelnext></novelnext>


    What didn''t make sense was his disciple.


    Xiaolin nodded as she considered his world. "However, that is not the case with me?" she could detect it, but wasn''t absolutely sure.


    "Exactly," Gale agreed. "From what I''m seeing, pure crystals act more as a catalyst for purification for youpared to boosting cultivation speed. It is roughly ten times more relevant in your casepared with other people."


    "That means if I were to intake more pure crystals--" Xiaolin began, but she was cut short by her master shortly.


    "Hold your breath, Cupcake."


    Gale re-clocked the script in her bracelet andtched it to her wrist yet again. Her health recovered earlier than he assumed, but he would still like to take safety measures. The rm bracelet was one of them.


    "Do you want to tear your body apart for quick gains?"


    Xiaolin almost nodded, but under her master''s gaze of disapproval, she clenched her teeth and shook her head.


    Gale clicked his tongue. Apparently, he didn''t approve of this way of quick gain. Who would have thought? In his early years, Gale was all about finding quick ways to raise his strength.


    "I know all this seemed like delicious meat before a starving wolf," Gale said, "but I assure you, the meat is full of slow-working poison. These short gains wille to bite you in the back, eventually. I''m telling you this from my experience."


    "Master, you said most poisons don''t work on me," Xiaolin couldn''t help but add.


    "We''ll see about that when you recoverpletely until that you''ll do no such thing to even think about those things."


    "Yes, master," Xiaolin said in apletely spiritless tone, slumping her shoulder.


    Galeughed. At least she was showing some expression, other than always looking at him with the expression of worship. Well, as they were growing familiar with one another, she was loosening up her personality. Now she didn''t act all reserved and respectful all the time, though she would need to lose a lot of her reserved personality.


    "Your body has been through a lot of stress these past few days," Gale said. "We should do something to rectify that."


    "What do you have in mind?"


    "Acupuncture shoulde first," Gale said. "Unfortunately, I''m not skilful in that area."


    "Acupuncture?" Xiaolin hummed. "Grandma can do it. She put me through that a couple of years ago." Xiaolin didn''t have a good memory of that.


    "Great, that settles it then. We''ll leave for the town in a couple of days.

 Chapter 111 108 Split (2)

    Xiaolin was feeding the bulls when a guest came to their farnd. That didn''t really happen often. Other than the builders, only the Shens came to a couple of times to check on her. However, the guest wasn''t there for her this time around.


    It was Sun Ziang in his white-d robe, wearing that unapproachable prideful look. He informed her that he had a meeting nned with her master.


    Xiaolin invited him into the newly decorated house. "Master is out in the mountains," she said and proceeded to prepare tea. "He should arrive soon."


    The house was mostly empty, although her master was working on decoration. He hung those breathtaking paintings on the walls, although he nned to move them to the guest rooms on the first floor when they were prepared. Other than that, there were shelves full of books, mostly fiction, though there were a few rted to cultivation as well.


    One of the other shelves held her master''s exploits. Some weird-looking sword without an actual de. Her master had told her they were his failed attempt at Lightsaber, whatever that meant. Probably something of his world. There were a few trophies from different martialpetitions, and ancient-looking amphoras on there too, and that was it.


    Obviously, the painting was the most breathtaking and eye-catching thing in the room. So she wasn''t surprised when she found the proud heir of the Sun n creeping to inspect the widendscape painting of the rising sun, "Golden Sun".


    His expression went from mildly interested topletely dumbfounded in a matter of a few seconds. That certainly didn''t go well with his persona, but the paintings were breathtaking.


    "This is. . ." he muttered,pletely awestruck. "This is an original work of Maya of the Dawn. Where did you master find this?"


    Xiaolin picked her brows. Of course, the painting was breathtaking and something profound that she couldn''t understand, but she didn''t know why the noble scion was so worked up about it.


    She was just about to say, her master stole it from her senior sister, but refrained. That would be very unbing of her, being his disciple.


    "This is drawn by the Master''s senior sister," she said instead.


    "Maya of the Dawn is your master''s senior sister?" Sun Ziang went dumbstruck again.


    Xiaolin nodded. She wasn''t certain what that "of the Dawn" part, but her master had informed her that his senior sister''s name was Maya.


    "Hmm," Sun Ziang hummed, considering. "What is he even doing here?"


    "Growing wheat," a fresh voice informed as Gale flew in, Vale running behind him, barking his way. He had a tired expression on his face, though that shifted to the regr Gale as he entered the room. "Sorry, I''m a littlete."


    "This is. . ." Sun Ziang nodded and gestured towards thendscape picture on the wall. "Is it the truth what she said?"


    Gale raised an eyebrow. "In case she said, I drew that, that''spletely untrue. I can barely scribe half of that using all the tools, much less using it with a paintbrush."


    "So Maya of the Dawn really is your senior sister?" Sun Ziang asked, just to be certain.


    "Sure," Gale said. "She tried her best to prevent her fame from rising, but it seemed she failed thoroughly for it to be known even in Tianhui--the nation that wants to be cut off from the outside world."


    "The Sun n just isn''t associated with Tianhui," Sun Ziang informed. "Though I learned about the artist from my aunt. She was a huge appreciator of art."


    "That healer aunt of yours?"


    Sun Ziang nodded.


    "Then get her toe quicker. Xiaolin is in much need of her," Gale said. "If she can do something about her, I might even consider selling "Golden Sun" to her."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Really?" Sun Ziang asked, frowning. "Are you speaking the truth?"


    Gale nodded. He would just consider it, and then decline, but the noble scion didn''t need to know that for making the healer avable in time.


    "She would be delighted to learn this," Sun Ziang said, relieved.


    ''This guy is so naive,'' Gale mused as Xiaolin served the tea to both of them. "So to the topic of our meeting. It''s about the longread?"


    Sun Ziang nodded. "And the person you mentioned would be helpful in my expedition."


    Gale hummed. "I''ll tell her to contact you at her convenience," he said. "Anyway, did you get all the parts?"


    "Most of them, yes," Sun Ziang said as he dropped a bag full of time out of his dimensional bag.


    Gale collected the bag and started inspecting the items. "As I feared, the clockwork is of the first generation," he muttered.


    "Meaning?"


    "It''s for the huge-sized longread, not what you have seen in my house," Gale said, clicking his tongue. "But no worries. I have the blueprint. Master Shi Jun can make thetest version of it after a couple of tries. Thankfully, it doesn''t cost much, just metal and effort."


    Sun Ziang nodded in relief. "There are a couple of items missing, but the guild informed me they would get another supply early next week."


    "I probably wouldn''t need them if I put in more effort, and Shi Jun had time," Gale said.


    "I don''t mind waiting a week," Sun Ziang informed.


    "That''s good because I have some work to finish of my own," Gale said and considered, turning towards his disciple and back to the noble aristocrat again. "You''d return in a few hours, right?"


    Getting a nod from Sun Ziang, Gale continued. "Can you take my disciple with you and drop her at the inn?" Gale requested. "I would have done so myself, but an unexpected issue required my attention urgently."


    "Master, you aren''t going?" Xiaolin chimed.


    "I''ll join you in a couple of days to take you back," Gale said. "You should ask Grandma to do the acupuncture therapy on you and look for a good maid before I join. Don''t worry, Vale will be with you the whole time. That is, if Sun Ziang agrees to let youe with you."


    Sun Ziang needed little time to consider. "Sure, I have no problem with it."


    About an hourter, Gale sent his disciple and Vale with Sun Ziang. When their silhouette finally disappeared from his sight, he turned in a certain direction where a presence let him know of her position.


    "Shadow her and Vale until I''m there," Gale told the shadowy figure.


    Now that got out of the way, he had some noble bones to break.

 Chapter 112 109 Split (3)

    Xiaolin was anxious the whole journey, thinking what she would tell Grandma and her elder sister after they found out the bruises on her face as well as the tear mark she was hiding.


    Well, she was mostly recovered, but she was certain they would scold her for hours about this. She certainly wasn''t looking forward to this, even though she was looking forward to many other things. ying with Rong''er, devouring foods made by her elder sister came first on the list. She probably had gotten a lot better since thest time she ate her food.


    Other than Grandma, whom she respected wholeheartedly, there were still a couple of her friends, mostly handmaids and part-time workers at the inn. They were the only people apart from her family who didn''t look down on because of her uselessness. She hadn''t got time to say goodbye to them properly thest time. Xiaolin was looking forward to rectifying that.


    She reached Wang''s inn in the afternoon, and it seemed most of the renovation work had been taken care of. Well, Grandma had nned nothing big, after spending such arge sum on buying the fate lock from her master.


    Renovating the whole ce from the script formation to all the facilities might not take a lot like the fate-lock, but it was still needed a couple of thousands of gold marks.


    That reminded her, she already spent over a thousand gold marks on cycling, and there was nothing but the scars to show for it. Well, she did make progress, a lot on manipting Qi, considering before she only cycled Qi all day in her free time previously. She was looking forward to showing her elder sister the new skill.


    Sun Ziang left for the enforcers'' office after leaving her at the inn. Xiaolin expected to barge into the bustling regr customers, but there were none on the counter, as it seemed the inn was closed for the day. That doesn''t happen very often.


    "This is very odd," she muttered and proceeded to check on her elder sister first.


    She found Wang Li on the open veranda, cycling with clear frustration on her face. She wasn''t really in deep meditations, so it didn''t take her long to notice the new presence.


    Xiaolin was about to go and hug her when she stopped, finding something amiss. She couldn''t point it out, but it seemed like something was wrong with this atmosphere.


    Wang Li''s face was red, but didn''t look like from excessive effort in cycling or any other activities rted to spirit arts. Her shoulder slumped in a disgruntled manner, as if nothing could lift her spirit for the time being.


    "Linlin," Wang Li said, lifting her head. "When did you get here? Well, I didn''t think you''de to see us so soon, at least not before the festival." She turned her head midway in the direction of the pool. "Well, it''s good that you''re here. I''ve been missing your presence since you left. How many days are you staying, by the way? Oh, I won''t let you go until I get everything out of you? Hey, do you want to try the meal I can cook now?"


    "Elder sister, what happened?" Xiaolin asked as she came forward a couple of steps.


    "What? Nothing."


    "You talk like this when you''re terribly distressed," Xiaolin said. She was about toe to her, but Wang Li stopped her. Thest time had been when she couldn''t find Rong''er even after searching the whole inn.


    "I''m fine," her elder sister said, voice cracking. "You go meet the others. I''ll join you after I finish with this."


    "Elder sister--"


    "Linlin, please," Wang Li begged, biting her lips, eyes all watery. "Leave me be for a moment. I don''t want to talk right now."


    Xiaolin stood there for a few more seconds and did what was asked of her, eventually. She left, though she turned back to give a nce at every step she took.<novelnext></novelnext>


    With a frown on her brows, Xiaolin moved to find her grandma. She found her in her chamber, ying with Rong''er through the atmosphere was a little stiff.


    "Grandma, I''ming in." Xiaolin got in after getting her permission.


    "Linlin," Grandma Yushen said, "I wasn''t expecting you, but it''s good that you''re back. Come in, sit close to me."


    Xiaolin did as Grandma took her palm in her hand. She already forgot that the older woman would notice the tear marks on her palm, but after seeing her elder sister in such a state like that she was too perplexed to care.


    "Grandma, what happened?" she asked, unable to keep up with the anticipation. "I saw elder sister a moment before. She was . . ."


    Her voice trailed off as the older woman began. "I have made a mistake." Wang Yushen was about to continue, but her expression stung as she saw the little boy of two staring at her in perplexity. "Rong''er, why don''t you go to your mother? She needs you now."


    Rong''er nodded heavily as he ran out of the room. Grandma sighed.


    "Gu Dong," she informed, eventually, "he left."


    "Left?" Xiaolin repeated. "You mean?"


    Grandma nodded.


    "Just like that? What happened?" Questions like that floundered in her mind as anxiety for her elder sister grew in her head. Of course, he was aware of the situation between her elder sister and her husband, but things were never this bad, were they? Or was she too engrossed in her own thing to even discover that?


    "I pped him twice," Grandma said, her eyes narrowing. "I maintained a distance on their matter so far, as I should, but I couldn''t endure it anymore. I still don''t know if I did the right thing, but in the back of my mind, I know if I taught him this lesson before, he would never have the audacity to do this to my granddaughter."


    "Elder sister, she. . ."


    "She had broken up," Grandma said, "not because of what happened after, but because of what he said before I had to stop him."


    __________


    I guess you guys see thising. . .


    Read the full A/N below.

 Chapter 113 110 Split (4)

    "If only I had motivated her to keep on seeking the martial path back then when she came to me, all those years ago," Grandmamented.


    Xiaolin bit her lips after hearing everything that happened in sequential order. Apparently, Gu Dong, Wang Li''s spouse, had been constantly frustrated, not getting what he wanted in life. He came from a humble family and had almost nothing to show for his background.


    However, he was particrly talented and headstrong about spirit arts from a young age. He came from a neighbouring vige, hearing Grandma Wang give lessons to a young practitioner free of cost.


    Gu Dong cashed in well there, standing out from all the pupils and even achieving iron rank in a few years, though most of it had to do with him getting on the good side of Wang Li when they were still both young. That eventually led to the proposal of marriage.


    However, Grandma couldn''t see him as a match for Wang Li and their family, so she adopted him into the family and helped with resources, thinking about her granddaughter.


    However, Gu Dong wasn''t content just getting to this point.


    Supposedly, he wanted to leave this town, to look for better opportunities for his martial path. However, her elder sister waspletely against that as she had given up spirit arts after their marriage. Not to mention, the history between herself and her parents, there was absolutely no way she would leave Grandma to join them again with her husband at Azure park.


    But Gu Dong was frustrated at the Iron rank for about five years now. He wasn''t growing any bit younger with each passing day, and with that, his potential was degrading the longer he stayed in Wayshire.


    All this seemed like both parties had a valid argument of their own, but that was where Gu Dong''s argument finished.


    Gu Dong hadn''t followed the role of the husband for thest two years. Ignoring all his bad habits such asing homete, ingesting a lot of alcohol almost every day, and wasting family wealth on gambling and other provocative activities, he was an unfaithful husband.


    Gu Dong hadn''t been fair to Wang Li since Xiaolin started living in the house with them.


    Of course, there were moments of union between them, mostly rted to Rong''er, as both of them seemed to love him equally, but that was it.


    Once cracks started to appear in a rtionship, there was no way to mend them. Unless both parties tried their best. Wang Li did what she could with everything she had, but Gu Dong had his eyes fixed on another matter. His martial path, no matter what he was doing to his family.


    He hadn''t supported her when Wang Li went back to practising again, and it turned out what he did today was to show what he really thought of her.


    Gu Dong objected to Wang Li''s cultivation. He called her a waste after Grandma spent so much money to buy her the fate lock. He screamed at her, saying she didn''t deserve any of that.


    Even her parents who cut her off from resources had never said something like that out loud, even if they thought it inwardly.


    Eventually, Grandma couldn''t watch it go on for longer. She barged into their argument and pped Gu Dong in the face. When he rebutted, she pped him once more to silence himpletely.


    Things went off the rails, Gu Dong didn''t listen to any of Grandma''s disapproving words. He strode off the Inn, saying he was nevering back.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Well, he dide back though, after about an hourte, but that didn''t change anything, Instead, he broke it apartpletely.


    Gu Dong came and threw a written deration of annulment at Wang Li. He left without uttering a single word, as if he was right all along.


    Just like that, it ended. Although the matter of splitting up officially needed a little more than just throwing paper at your spouse, Xiaolin couldn''t see them getting back together after this.


    "Let''s go," Grandma said eventually. "I can''t leave her on her own for much longer. She hadn''t eaten anything today."


    "Alright, let me make something quick for her," Xiaolin said and proceeded to the kitchen, unloading the stuff she had with herself. She made one of those sandwiches which she learned from her master and readied it quickly to move in the direction of the veranda.


    Wang Li was still at it, trying to cycle, but all the frustration she went through wasn''t making it any easier. She even sent away Rong''er, telling him to y on his own.


    "Granddaughter," Grandma Yushen said softly, "you know your condition isn''t in a fair state to continue cycling. You might create a deviation in your path."


    "I''m fine, Grandma," Wang Li said, not lifting her head. "I just need a moment to collect myself."


    Grandma Wang crept closer and sat beside her. "Wang Li," she said, squeezing her shoulder. "You can''t go on like this. You have done nothing wrong. Why suffer because of it?"


    "I should have listened to mother and father," Wang Li said atst, her voice cracking. "Atst I won''t be like this, failure at everything, at spirit arts, at marriage, at everything. I have nothing, Grandma."


    "Who said that?" Grandma pulled her granddaughter to her chest. "Who said that? They don''t know anything. You have a beautiful son, who loves her mother dearly. You have me and look, Linlin. She made food for you. . . Come on, eat something."


    "Grandma," Wang Li burst into tears, snuggling in her grandmother''sp. "I am not useless. . . I don''t want to be useless. . ."


    "You''re not," Grandma said, rubbing Wang Li''s hair softly. "You''re not. Don''t grieve for whatever he said. Don''t let his words dictate your fate."


    ______________


    Thank you all of you for reading my story and especially those that spent coins to read it. A year ago, I couldn''t even hope that others would use the money to read my story.


    Also, I appreciate all those who brought privilege and tried to help the book get to the milestone, even though we failed. We''ll make it next time.


    Read the A/N below.

 Chapter 114 111 First Lashing (1)

    My first day at the mining ve came to an end. And my trolley remained just the same, no more mining for me. I literally gave up learning that I won''t make it.


    That''s totally me. I preferably didn''t like to work in vain. Knowing the result won''t change no matter what I do, I rested for the rest of the hours and prepared for the beating toe.


    Tenshes didn''t seem that hard to me, after everything I went through these few days. But this world has magic. Ten was more than enough to kill me if they desired it.


    I was hoping they were in need of ves to beat them to death at the very beginning.


    The horn red at a certain point. I thought of that as the sunset, even though we weren''t under the naked sky and had no way of knowing when it was day or when it was night.


    I stood up from my resting ce and found Cameron wasn''t done yet. He would need some time to meet the quota. I thought of waiting for him, but decided against it. There was no point in taking someone to watch as you get beaten.


    Besides, we didn''t know each other very well, nor did we talk much after my dilemma appeared. He was busy with his own thing, much less worried about someone else.


    So I crept, pushing the trolley before me. Tens of other folks were doing the same, most of them struggling with their trolley being filled with magical crystals. I found some were even helping others by covering for them if they get an excessive amount of crystals.


    Also, it seemed, the quota for everyone wasn''t the same. I had seen many people carrying less and even more than the half-trolley full of crystals.


    The guards weren''t stopping them to get them to theshing stand. Unfortunately for me, they stopped me after finding my trolley almost empty, except for a couple of dozen crystal stones.


    The guards grunted at me and were about to lead me to the stand for the punishment. However, another one of the guards stopped them, pointing towards a particr stone on my trolley. It stood out among the few others, as it had a deeper orange colour, reflecting the lights drawn to it.


    It was exactly the crystal, Number 197 thrown to my trolley.


    The guard that stopped the others threw a peculiar nce at me, picking up the orange crystal. Then he said something in his native tongue that I couldn''t understand.


    "Yeah, yeah, fuck you too," I told him in a tired tone that he couldn''t understand.


    Then they let me go. See, we''re at the perfect wavelength.


    I blinked at the incredulity of the situation. It seemed the deeper orange crystal was worth more than the other ones. I found them collecting that to their order while leaving the rest of the dim stones elsewhere.


    I concluded that a single fist-sized orange crystal stone was worth enough to meet my current quota. Looks like Number 197 still had some softer bones on her body than she admitted. Obviously, she did it intentionally, knowing I didn''t understand the worth of these crystals.


    Still, I was really thankful to her. I took a mental note to thank her for that the next time I met her.


    I didn''t eat outside with the others after that. This time the foot was a bit better, the same old dumpling-like thing with a sour soup, which tasted like a godsendpared with the nd dumpling.<novelnext></novelnext>


    At ater time, Cameron came to apologise. He exined everything fairly. Why couldn''t he help me? And he would try if he can from now on. Well, I understood all that, as I forgave himpletely with my excessive generosity and kindness.


    Jokes apart, we talked for a few more minutes as we discussed how I was saved fromshing. He was definitely startled to know the other crystal was worth so much. All three of us were safe from the beating today. Huh, it seemed the Insane 303 made it too, with his own power, nheless.


    We discussed what to do in the future for some more time. Then Cameron went to his own room. About an hourter, the lights were turned off andplete darkness enveloped me in his prison cell.


    There is no escape, the darkness told me.


    ***


    I woke up early the next day, not to my merit, but because of the monstrous horn ring like the other day.


    The day progressed like the previous one. Nothing too special to take note of.


    It would''ve been about the same as well if Number 197 came and threw another orange crystal into my trolley. Unfortunately, nobody came to my rescue that day.


    I tried my best to find the orange crystal, trying to move into the hotter region. However, I couldn''t even endure a couple of minutes halfway to that point. I would turn a full piece of human steak before I could find anything there.


    Getting nowhere with that, I remained quite close to myst day''s spot, hoping to find Number 196 and 197 as they came out to rest at some point.


    They did note.


    Even near the end of the mining hours, they didn''te, bringing my anxieties to the verge of copse.


    Well, it copsed, as I epted on getting the tenshes. Yeah, my mind works like that. Get used to it.


    However, epting it didn''t change much. Well, my anxiety didn''t get worse. And I heard somewhere, epting the pain makes it less painful.


    Whoever said it, they were wrong altogether. They definitely didn''t getshed by those monstrously powerful guards to speak such words.


    Well, they probably spoke those words in other sense, not what I was dealing with.


    I went alone to get my share of beating today as well. They didn''t even have to check the trolley to know I barely mine anything. So they brought me along to the punishment stand among the eyes of the tens of other ves.

 Chapter 115 112 First Lashing (2)

    I think this punishment show was the only entertainment they got in here. Thankfully, I wasn''t alone or at the centre of their entertainment. There were a few more folks who hadn''t met their quota for today.


    Among them was someone whom I knew, not personally. I hardly knew anyone personally here, to be honest. Well, the figure was more familiar than the rest of the people. It was Number 303, the guy that went insaneing into this world.


    Well, he could be crazy on earth as well, though the chances of that were quite low. Remembering the spitting ache in my head on the cold floor of the summoning ritual, I could clearly guess something went wrong with Number 303''s summoning.


    So, to myshing. . .


    It was way more painful than I could have ever assumed.


    They led us to sit on our knees on the stand as they stood behind use, unrolling the whips. I gritted my teeth, removing my dirty upper vest. I prepared for theshing toe as the guards yed with their whip on the back, making terrible noises in the air.


    Among the crowds of tens of ves, I closed my eyes as thunder cracked on my back, severing my pain receptors more than they were capable of transmitting.


    "Mother--" I screamed through gritted teeth, as another whip pped on my back hard, crossing the previous one. "--Fuck--"


    Two down and I was already rolling on the ground, struggling like a fish on the. However, it seemed thesher wasn''t satisfied with my behaviour. He didn''t give me time to sit back up, andshed out again, unconcerned about where he was hitting.


    Two fieryshed pitted on my chest as I clenched my jaw and everything to sit back up so that he would onlysh me on the back.


    Tears rolled down my eyes as the excruciatingly agonising ordeal continued. I screamed through gritted teeth as the tears of agony dripped down my cheek.


    I couldn''t care less about the people watching anymore. I just wanted the pain to end. I would''ve done anything to pass out at this moment, however, it didn''te that easily.


    I agonised through all the pain as they finally finished the tenthsh.


    The pain didn''t wane, though. It was almost unfeeling for a split second as it ended, however, the venomous whips left behind a pain that I wouldn''t need to be reminded off.


    Iid on the stand for a few minutes, aware of the few othershed people getting up, but I didn''t stand back. Not quick enough.


    I took my time, breathing in and out to calm down as finally the agony decreased to an endurable point.


    Someone came to help me out at some point. I was drowsy at that point to figure that out. Until I heard Cameron''s voice. I wasn''t even aware someone was carrying me to my room.


    He took me to my room, fed me some water, and left me. I was grateful for that, but had no remembrance of etiquette to tell him.


    An exceeding amount of pain can make you forget things. I learned something new about the human brain. The lesson didn''te easy.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And it won''t be any bit easier the next day, when I would have to get twentyshes for my ipetence.


    ***


    I woke up with sore muscles and aching body. Thesh marks remained fresh on my body, though it hurt a lot less than I would have imagined. Unfortunately, I couldn''t do anything about the brain, it kept sending me shes of that pathetic agony whenever I remembered I had to mine in a few minutes.


    On second thought, I didn''t want to go, I just want to find some ce to hide and remain there until I die. Unfortunately, the ve cor on my neck wouldn''t let me do that. There seemed to be some location tracking feature on it. And who knew what else?


    I was pretty sure there was an electrocuting feature as well just for emergencies.


    I certainly wasn''t looking forward to that.


    Anyway, I carried my body to mining that day too,pletely aware of my uselessness with just one arm.


    My situation didn''t change. The beating the other day showed me many perspectives. Many perspectives of how I would die through theshing.


    Unfortunately, nobody came to save me that day either. Number 197 wasn''t that considering looking after some worthless ve, after all. I was horrified at the prospect of getting an additional tenshes that day.


    I wanted to hide; I wanted to run away again, but I knew full well there was no ce to hide, no ce to run away.


    "Master," Xiaolin cut in, halting Gale''s narration. "Didn''t you say your guardian angel saved you? Then why didn''t shee the other days? Why would she let you have such painful experiences if all it took was just a single stone?"


    Gale chuckled softly. "I did say someone wasing to save me at my worst possible time. My guardian angel," he said, smiling at his disciple, "but I didn''t say it was number 197. Don''t get me wrong, she did help me a lot, more than I deserved at that time, but she had her agenda behind it too.


    "In a sense, that made more sense. She lived in that inhabitable tortuous hell for over six years, and survived there. Why do you think she would keep the same mindset as a normal person after going through all that? Honestly, she kept more of her humanity than the rest of us.


    The two women thought with a solemn expression on their faces. "Then what about your guardian angel?" Wang Li asked. "How was she different from the others?"


    "You still think it was a woman?" Galeughed ruefully. "Well, you''re not wrong. And you''re not wrong about her being my first love.


    "She had been my semnce of hope in that hell. She was the bacon of hope who showed me the path, and without her, I wouldn''t be here to tell you this tale."


    ____________


    It''ll take a couple more days to set up the whole privilege, bear with it.

 Chapter 116 113 First Lashing (3)

    So on my fourth day of very, I was supposed to get thirtyshes, befitting my ipetency for thest two days.


    Since twentyshes yesterday hadn''t made me pass out, I reckoned thirty wouldn''t be enough to do so either.


    Then again, it wasn''t any better than passing out. I barely kept any semnce of lucidity even though I was awake. The pain was so intolerable, my brain couldn''t function well for a certain amount of time, only registering the excruciating agony throughout the body.


    I wish I were like those few of the other ves, who could still walk around and talk even after getting the same amount ofshing. They probably had grown a tolerance for the pain.


    Would I be able to get used to the pain before I die? Those days, dark thoughts were all I had most of the time.


    I wasn''t aware how manyshes I could endure before perishing, but it should be around the three-digit mark. So I had like a couple of weeks at best. I need to heal my left arm within that time.


    Fuck, I wish I hadn''t pissed off Ol'' Theodore. His potion would be most wee at my current situation.


    Anyway, since I was doing nothing these few days, I decided I should learn new things from watching others. And what could be more useful than the nativenguage these people speak?


    I certainly wasn''t going to ask someone to help me learn, not that that would help. I tried memorising words with how their bodynguage worked and guessed most of my way into meaning. To be honest, I was doing better than I had hoped.


    I learned eight native words yesterday.


    I was looking forward to learning more today, though the remainder of theshing was making me queasy.


    Instead of working these days, I go around with the pickaxe under the nose of the guards. Whenever any of them were nearby, I started mining, and after they left me to my devices, I do my thing, which wasn''t much.


    The same old mapping out the ce. Honestly, this mine wasn''t any less short than the other underground facilities, though lessplex. Then again, I hadn''t travelled deeper. Most of the ces deeper in the mine were fiery pits.


    Anyway, you must be wondering: why was I specifically narrating this day when I skipped yesterday? The answer was very simple. Somethingpletely unexpected happened which changed how I looked at this ce this day.


    So the time of collection came again, and like yesterday, my trolley waspletely empty. I left it in my usual ce, and it hadn''t mysteriously grown crystal stones.


    I pushed the trolley, mumbling a song not to remind me of those agonising thoughts.


    . . .she keep cryin'', she keep cryin'' every single night


    Day and night, on my mind, please don''t kill the vibe. . .


    I got engrossed in the rhythm and tried to forget my misery.


    Oh no, I swear to God, I be in my mind


    Swear I wanna die, yeah, when you cross my-


    But it was so hard to forget about the misery, the dark thoughts, the agonising beating. . .


    Said I wanna die, yuh


    No, I''m not alright, yuh


    I might start a riot


    I''m so fuckin'' tired, yuh<novelnext></novelnext>


    -Thud!


    Something crashed into my trolley and caught me off guard. I rested my mumbling to find apletely unfamiliar man, pouring a bucket full of crystal stones into my trolley. I waspletely lost to ask what was happening.


    "Keep singin''," the stranger who dropped the crystal stones on my trolley told me, "309."


    Of course, I wanted to sing, but the generosity caught me off guardpletely. I even forgot the lyrics as I stared at the unfamiliar man. On second inspection, I could tell he was an earthling much like myself, though of Asian origin.


    The man snorted at my expression and departed as if it was nothing. I was about to scream thank you on his back, but another crash caught my attention.


    Another person poured half a bucket of crystal stone on my trolley. He gave me a head-to-toe look and pped me on the shoulder. He was earthling too like the other person, and he too left like the other person without waiting for me to shower gratitude on their generosity.


    That happened yet again as two more strangers came in and dropped crystal stones, nodding at him. It was as if they had been coordinated by someone. After all, they chose the most dramatic moment to do it, and do it in such a way.


    And after about five and six people donated their hard-earned crystals to my trolley, I finally got to see who was the mastermind behind this.


    It was the duo of 196 and 197. They were waiting for me to pass. They usually had their orange stones in their trolley, but instead of donating that, they poured a couple of buckets full of regr crystal stones into my trolley. That almost filled my quota for today.


    "Nobody would''ve missed a piece of shit like you if you died," Number 196 told me. "However, I guess you have some value."


    "Bloke, you just have to kill the vibe," I couldn''t help butin.


    "See you aroundter," the dark-skinned woman said as they departed like the others.


    I looked at my trolley with a heavy heart. Looks like I would be safe from today''s beating. Then what about tomorrow? Would they help me again tomorrow?


    As I was wondering about that, Cameron came in and yed the role of thest donator, pouring the excessive amount of stones he got today.


    "We have much to talk about," he told me as he crept out, pushing his trolley. "Later."


    I let out a heavy breath and departed from there, as the guards would being to chase us out soon.


    I continued to mumble the song again, albeit with a little more spirit.


    So outside of my misery, I think I''ll find


    A way of envisioning a better life


    For the rest of us, the rest of us


    There''s hope for the rest of us, the rest of us


    ______________


    Lyrics credits: XXXTentacion


    One more of this shback and we go back to the current timeline.

 Chapter 117 114 First Lashing (4)

    I was saved from today''s beating by the generosity of the other earthlings. However, I wasn''t sure how many times they would be this generous.


    Well, if they were so generous, why didn''t theye the other two days? The event was shapedpletely unexpectedly after the beatings of two days.


    Okay, I was expecting too much fromplete strangers. If I took a pragmatic view of all this, then I would know they had no other concern than pity to help me. How can I expect more from them since I couldn''t provide them with anything in return?


    Not like how I was now.


    Anyway, I got my question answeredter that night after someone knocked on my door.


    I carried my body from the floor where I was working out to open the door. I found Cameron along with the dark-skinned girl who should be the centre of everything that happened today to save my ass from getting thrashed.


    Wait, she ain''t no girl. Number 197 could easily be ten years older than me, not that she looked old or anything but exquisite. I couldn''t fathom what she had to do to survive this long.


    "Jesus," Cameron broke the silence and my constant stare at the only woman in the room, "what are you doing at this hour?"


    "Just working out a bit," I said and invited them in. "Come in."


    Cameron came in without bothering, whereas Number 197 gave the room a good inspection and stepped in.


    "If you guys want any drink, then you guys should''ve brought something with you," I told them, as I had nothing to treat guests. Not even water. Well, I did have some water, only a couple of mouthfuls, and I wanted to drink thatter that night.


    Yup, I was being selfish, but you haven''t lived in that hell to judge me. Every one of us gets a certain amount of water every day, and it was barely enough to keep yourself hydrated in this hellish environment.


    "Well, aren''t you being greedy?" said the veteran ve. "Then again, most newbies tend to be greedy, but they surely weren''t as hard-spoken and ungrateful as you."


    "That is just part of my charm," I grinned, maintaining an easy stand.


    Number 197 snorted. "You are mistaken there, Bard," she said. "I have seen what real charm is like. I promise you that ain''t it."


    Bard was just a short form of "Bardi", which mostly meant useless or failure, not the singing adventure thing just because I mumbled and hummed for some time.


    "Anyway, why are you working out at this hour?" Cameron asked. "Do you even have the energy to do anything?"


    "Unlike you guys, I haven''t done any mining thesest three days. Of course, I would be in better shape," I told them. "As for the reason I''m exercising, that should be obvious, no? I might note as a surprise, but I don''t really want to beshed to death."


    "Perhaps there is still some hope left for you," Number 197 said.


    "I thought that too after you guys helped me to meet the quota today," I said. "That was really cool,ing in and dropping wealth without a word. I sure liked the sound of it, except that bloke with you, he ruined the moment with his big mouth."


    "Are you always like this?" Number 197 said, crossing her arms together on her chest.


    "Dashingly charming?" I raised my eyebrows. "Sure."


    "I''m sure your mother believed that."


    "How do you know?" I widened my eyes as I asked.


    That earned a low chuckle from her. "At least you''re aware you''re doing all this purposefully," she said. "I met the other guy of your trio. He was really on the short end of the stuff."


    "I''m not so certain about that," I said warily. "Although Ibelled this me as being normal, and it should be normal in the ce we''re from. But I''m not absolutely credible about this."


    The attractive woman narrowed her eyes. "That happened to the best of us," she said. "Just keep your mouth in check whenever you''re under scrutiny of someone dangerous, which is most people. Even most of the ves are way more dangerous than you can imagine."


    I nodded and found Cameron pursing his lips, even though it looked like he was going to say something.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What?" I challenged.


    The former ountant sighed eventually. "I think keeping your mouth in check will be a challenge for you."


    "Mate, you don''t know me. I can be totally that silent, edgy type atmand," I said, snorting at him. "Just watch."


    "Is that why you tried to provoke that earthling with that fat lord Pen?"


    "Nah, mate, I was just trying to make a friend, though I was curious about how he gained that power."


    Cameron looked incredulous.


    "What did he say?" The dark-skinned woman asked, curious.


    "He asked how many times he had to perform at birthday parties to learn the trick," Cameron said as ck lines appeared on the woman''s forehead.


    "I was going to ask him about where the rabbits woulde next," I said. "However, I was too curious about how he learned that trick."


    Cameron threw him a judging look while the woman just shook her head.


    "I don''t know if I made the right choice," she said. "Either way, the decision has been made. You''ll get six more help like that from us."


    "Six?" I repeated. That seemed like a very specific number.


    Cameron helped me understand. Apparently, all the earthlings here joined together to help the neer meet their quotas seven times. In some cases, they were able to save the earthling--well, as much as they could be saved in very. While special cases, much like mine, generosity barely changed anything.


    I still have a few questions about all this, but apparently, the woman didn''t have much time on her hand.


    So she came closer for thest check-up. "How''s the arm?"


    "Painful and no better than yesterday," I said straightly. "I''m not a doctor, so I can''t tell you anything more detailed than that."


    "Let me see," she said and clutched my left arm even before I could give her permission. She removed the ragged clothes I bandaged it with and checked. I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth to not wail or whimper.


    The wound had closed, though it still looked like an ugly burn mark. Those fuckers had beenpletely ruthless in their beating.


    However, what caught her attention was a circr mark just above the wrist. It was a pretty thin line, almost invisible in the dim light. The woman drew her finger along the line and watched me as if to find any change in my expression.


    But I waspletely oblivious to this, like her.


    "Did you have this beforeing here?" she asked.


    I shook my head, still inspecting the thin circr mark. It wasn''t a perfect circle, more like oval-shaped, still too perfect toe out of my torture.


    "Could getting beaten by a sorcerer''s power be the cause of this?" I asked.


    "Possible," she answered, expression solemn, "though the first thing that reminded me after seeing this were the tattoos of the guards."


    ___________________


    And we go back to the current timeline again.

 Chapter 118 115 Escalation (1)

    "Young master," a maid called scurrying into his room in the early morning, "someone is looking for you."


    For some time there was no reply. The reply finally came after the maid called out several times in her worrying tone.


    "What?" Han Xiao asked in confusion as he woke up. "Who''s looking for me?"


    "I don''t know," the maid answered. "It was a foreign man. He said he knew you and also asked for any adult at home."


    Han Xiao lurched up from his bed and peered at the maid with bleary eyes, hearing the word foreigner. That word deprived all his drowsiness. Well, it was way past morning for all that mattered. "What did you say?"


    The maid repeated as a frown crawled up on the young master''s brows.


    "What is he doing here? The gall to evene here. . ."


    "The man''s waiting in the garden," the maid reminded warily. "My lord anddy aren''t home, so he''s waiting for others."


    Han Xiao grunted and left the bed. He was about to go meet the son of bitch that created so many problems for him, but he halted and turned to the maid, recalling thest time he confronted the foreigner.


    "Young master?" the maid asked with some uncertainty. "Should I prepare tea for the guest?"


    Young master Han sneered. "No. Go call up the boys," he said. "No, not just them. Call everyone else that''s avable in the mansion. Call all the silver rankers and tell them the young master asks for their presence immediately. I''ll see to it today that he cannot leave with both legs intact."


    "Young Master," the maid said in an almost inaudible tone, worried, knowing full well where it was going. "Young master, the foreigner, he is already with the others."


    Han Xiao raised an eyebrow in confusion, and then a delightful smile crept on his face. Looks like everyone was on the same page and wanted to thrash this foreigner as much as he wanted.


    He rushed towards the garden with a content smile on his lips. Who could''ve known that a spoiling bastard would present himself to his home as a present, and there were still two days left for his birthday?


    Young master Han strode out with the same swagger he carried himself to the whorehouses. However, his dream crashedpletely as he found his Uncle Hao standingpletely glued to his spot as the spoiling bastard sitting at the table in the middle of the garden.


    Han Xiao was about to call for Uncle Hao--the shadowy assassin who worked for their family even before he was born. However, before he could do so, he found the elderly figure dropping to the ground, almost on the verge of passing out.


    "Uncle Hao," Han Xiao called, scurrying to the garden.


    "So hereeth the prodigal son," another voice said. Han Xiao didn''t need to lift his head to know who it wasing from.


    It was that asshole foreigner who didn''t seem to know his ce. Every time he acted audaciously where he had no ce to act. This asshole had to snuggle his nose into his affair.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You," Han Xiao bellowed again, confronting the foreigner. "It''s you again. How dare you act this impudently in my home?"


    Han Xiao wasn''t afraid because there were still a handful of silver rankers and many iron rankers in the garden surrounding them. Though Han Xiao failed to assess the situation, much of his demerit. A scrutiny of all the counterparts'' expressions would have told him everything he would need to know.


    "Young master," Uncle Hao called from behind, "Be careful. Don''t go near him."


    But it was already toote. The furious young master scurried to where Gale was sitting under the gazes of over a dozen practitioners.


    "I believe if my master had a dispute with even the biggest fool in the universe, he''d be able to part that fool with something profound in return," Gale said, "and diffuse the argument in his favour. Unfortunately, for me and you lots, I''m not that wise to make you understand what you got yourself involved in that easily. But I promise, I''ll try, right now, though I fear I have to use other means to let you understand."


    Han Xiao gritted his teeth, furious. "Why are you all standing?" he barked at all the counterparts surrounding thewn. "Get him, show him what it means to go against the Han family."


    However, instead of answering their young master''s call, they turned their head or looked down as if unconsciously ignoring orders from their young master.


    "They won''t listen," Gale told the young master. There wasn''t even a semnce of a smile on his lips as he spoke. He looked much like the killer that his figure resembled. "Only two of us will talk, and they will remain silent."


    "What?!" Han Xiao bellowed. "Don''t you--"


    "Sit down," Gale said in a monotone voice.


    Han Xiao meant to remain defiant even though all the property here was owned by his family. However, reality workedpletely against his will as a force thrust against his being from every direction. Within a nick of moment, Han Xiao was powerless against the invisible force as it carried him to the seat.


    His butt dropped on the seat, but the invisible force didn''t dissipate. It remained over him, making him sweat profoundly. Han Xiao looked at the others, waiting for them to make a move.


    However, none of them even lifted their heads to look at him directly, watching him in shame. Not even a single one of them had the courage remaining in their spirit to do something against Gale. Almost none, except that old assassin Hao.


    "Son, I reassure you," Uncle Hao told Gale, "you''ll regret it if something happens to the young master."


    Gale turned to the elderly assassin. "Are you finished?" he asked. "Now, stay down."


    The elderly man dropped to the ground again, his chest weighing against the green lush grass as a perpendicr force kept him in ce, burning through his skin to his channels as the Oldman groaned.


    "One thing you must know," Gale told them all, "I''m not ying the good neighbour today." He paused and said to the assassin. "And I''m not your son."

 Chapter 119 116 Escalation (2)

    "One thing you must know," Gale told them all, "I''m not ying the good neighbour today." He paused and said to the assassin. "And I''m not your son."


    "Now that everything is taken care of. . ." Gale addressed the young master, who was sitting ufortably in front of him, sweating profusely, ring at him with all his might.


    "Sit straight," Gale demanded, and the young master followed, straightening his backbone. "Tell me, what do you desire in life?"


    Han Xiao looked at him with confusion in his eyes.


    "What do you want?" Gale dumbed down the question. "Do you have any ambition or aspiration in life or not?"


    "What does it have to do with you?" Han Xiao confronted defiantly, though his voice lost all the venom. Well, his eyes remained defiant to his credit.


    "It had nothing to do with me," Gale said simply, "but you''ll answer it. Do you know why? Because I asked you."


    Han Xiao gulped down the nervousness that crawled out of his stomach.


    "So, do you have anything you wanted to be other than a shit stain on your family''s name?" Gale asked. "Or do you like being a shit stain?"


    "You!" Han Xiao grunted.


    "Answer the question."


    "I. . ." Han Xiao gritted his teeth to answer. "I wanted to be a gold ranker like my father."


    Gale was pretty sure the young master mentioned his father''s rank to make him dread the consequences of his action.


    "Gold ranker?" Gale repeated. "That''s a worthy goal. So how far have you progressed in thest few years? It doesn''t seem like much to me. Even a dimwit bull can make it to iron by now if you pour resources through its ass, but you''re in most ways worse than a fucking bull. At least the bull had some worth."


    At least the young master had the decency to look down. However, anger and indignation pulsed through his blood as he remained clenching his jaw.


    "Don''t even bother bullshitting like you aren''t born with decent talent. I''ve seen people with worse talent and situations than you making it to gold before they are thirty."


    Han Xiao snorted. "You''re making it sound like gold rankers are nothing butmon cabbages."


    "True, gold rankers aren''t asmon as cabbages," Gale nodded. "But it is not that rare either. You have no idea of what the real world is like, do you? Then let me tell you, in the real world, in a real war, gold rankers are likemon cabbages, and they were used likemon cabbages."


    Gale could easily tell that the young master was sceptical of everything he said. That''s why he liked the easy way, which was to beat him to the point where he wouldn''t be able to refute any of his words.


    It seemed he had to show something to him to make him understand. Preferably something not that lethal, but something that would give him a good scare. And it wouldn''t make Gale look like he was bullying his juniors.


    Gale proceeded to do exactly that, but the young master had to take the highway.


    "At least I''m better than your useless disciple," Han Xiao said. He had to say that. At least, that''s all that remained for him to attack.


    "What did you say?" Gale asked, the coldness of his eyes boring into the young master."Repeat."


    "I said, your disciple is utter trash." Han Xiao was aware he was facing something different, not like those noble sons that he used to go against when he was in the capital. Those eyes and the mercilessness in them told stories of what could happen to him, but he was defiant to his core--much to his merit or demerit.<novelnext></novelnext>


    How dare this foreign bastarde to his home and threaten him like that? Han Xiao would die before he''ll bend.


    Gale was a bit surprised to find Han Xiao refuting him when he forced a good portion of his aura to remind the young master what he was against. Looks like Gale had to go harder.


    Gale searched for his coldest memories and used them through Coercion to intimidate the young master, who perhaps had some worth.


    Han Xiao shivered in his spot as goosebumps crawled up on his skin. He could only see those cold eyes of the foreigner where darkness and a faint blue light reigned.


    "Why are you fixated on my useless disciple, then?" Gale asked.


    "She. . ." Han Xiao could barely say. "She''s. . . supposed to be. . . my mistress."


    "Really?" Gale narrowed his eyes. "At least I never heard of it."


    "Her father. . . agreed," Han Xiao screamed. "Bastard, let me go. I swear I''ll kill you if you don''t let me go now."


    "That seemed like a convenient lie for you to say, with Linlin''s father missing." Gale satfortably, one foot above another. Of course, this was something the young master had worked on to harass his disciple for months. If it weren''t for the protection of the Wangs, he would have got what he was after long ago. "You know what? That doesn''t matter. Since I''m her master now, I''ll void every agreement you had with her."


    "Screw you!" Han Xiao screamed at him, and couldn''t endure anymore. He turned to all the others standing in the surrounding area. "Why are you still watching him disrespect your young master? Screw this fucker. Do you think I don''t understand why you took her as your disciple even though she''s aplete trash? Do you take me for a fool, you degenerate of a master?!"


    The legs of the chair Han Xiao was sitting in creaked for once as they crumbled under Gale''s pressure. Han Xiao fell on his back, too horrid and out of his mind to care. He was still screaming bullshit and asking for his men to attack Gale.


    The men seemed to have got something out of their young master''s defiance as they exchanged nces between them, considering to attack Gale together.


    "Attack!" Uncle Hao bellowed, rushing at Gale. Dark shadowy Qi swirled around him as the other of the silver rankers joined him.


    Gale had his attention fixed on the Young Masters. He was a littlete to crush their advances. However, all that didn''t change the situation even by a little.


    The outworlder lifted his head and jerked his hand in the air as half of the silver rankers were flung away just by the intensity of the force. He didn''t let the other half close in the distance, boring all his aura onto them to crash their martial skills they were shooting at him.


    When that was taken care of, he released Stormsong almost entirely, save for the manifesting of its form. He stormed them away, tearing their muscles and shattering their bones as if they were nothing but crumbled pieces of paper.


    This was the difference between silver and an elite gold ranker. Even if Gale was a shadow of his past, he could bring the force of this momentum with just some concentration.


    "Believe what you want," Gale said in an icy tone as he drew closer towards Han Xiao. "But I''ll remind you for thest time. Stay away from me and the people I care for, or I''ll take away everything you think you deserve. Your power, wealth, family, nothing can save you from me. Just like them, everyone will crumble, and you''ll be the centre of it all."


    Gale didn''t know when, but the young master was already passed out when he finished his sentence. He clicked his tongue.


    Gale was about to carry on with his intention, which was to carry these lots of practitioners out of the hands of Han''s family, when a potent foreign aura pulsed through the vicinity.


    Gale lifted his head and turned in the direction where it wasing from.


    "You have some nerve," a voice said through the aura, "toe into my home and do this to my men. And my son. Do. You. Have. A. Death. Wish?"

 Chapter 120 117 Escalation (3)

    Turns out that Han Xiao told the truth. His father really was a gold ranker. Gale could easily tell that through the aura that epassed the vicinity.


    A practitioner''s aura told many things about them. Mostly what kind of person they were. Most people couldn''t read an aura that well, however, Gale always had a keen sense. But he didn''t need a keen sense to know what this aura was telling him.


    Fury.


    The aura was wild and unrestrained, narrowing down and enveloping the garden. This wasing from someone who thinks very highly of themselves, looking down on everything. As for that to be true or not? Gale wasn''t sure.


    "You have some nerve toe into my home and do this to my men. And my son. Do. You. Have. A. Death. Wish?"


    The whole talk was spoken through the maniption of aura and Qi, speaking the volume of his control.


    Well, that exined the fury. If you find someone bullying your people and son in your own home, it isn''t too hard to get this worked up about it.


    Elder Han wasn''t just an angry father or just one of those unrestrained fools. Because Gale was aware, it needed some proficiency to word out phrases using aura and Qi. No fool could do it.


    In a way, Gale acted the same way. He intercepted another batch of silver and iron rankers in the vicinity of Stormhold, preparing to do something vicious. That was the reason behind this disy. He could''ve gone to the enforcers again, but that would be a lost cause. He needed to show the worthless fool who he was provoking, then he would understand.


    Well, he wanted to do a good show for the parents of Han Xiao, but they weren''t at home so far. Now it looks like Gale could do what he came here for, though from the look of things, it appeared, he would need to use more of his arms and legs than his mouth.


    Gale tilted his head and waited for Daddy Han to reach his home. He braced himself, swirling Qi, preparing for the good show. Well, now that he wouldn''t have to restrain the lots of silver and iron rankers, which left him in a lot better shape to face the iing gold ranker.


    After several seconds, Gale could finally see a figure propelling himself over the wall to slide inside the vicinity of the mansion. The neer¡ªmost likely Han Xiao''s father and the lord of the house¡ªwas a tall man, almost as tall as Gale, however, unlike Gale who had a rough beard growing, he was clean-shaven with chisel cheeks and good looks.


    However, what caught most of his attention was his furious eyes as the neer stared down at the whole wreckage around him. The next thing that came to notice was the sword on his waist. It was preferably a Unique grade fate lock, that could only be worked through aplete manifestation. These types of fate locks, that only worked thoughplete manifestations, tend to be devastating. Sadly, the sheath restricted his probing to find out more about the weapon.


    Well, his Stormsong wouldn''t lose out to it whatever its functions were.


    ''Looks like it will be more troublesome than I thought,'' Gale mused, wearing an annoyed expression on his face. His preparation was nearly finished.


    "Who are you?" Han Xiao''s father asked, his cold aura boring on Gale.


    "Someone your halfwit son can''t help but provoke," Gale answered, shrugging away the aura.


    "Master Shitian." Uncle Hao, who was resting on one corner after Gale flung him away, stood up. His condition wasn''t any better though, as Gale hadn''t cared if he was hurting the old man or not. He clutched his hand to his chest as he came forward.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Uncle Hao," Han Shitian said, "what happened?"


    "Master Shitian," the shadowy assassin Han said, evident coldness in his tone. "Kill him. He disrespected the House and harmed the young master. You must kill him. . ."


    Han Shitian narrowed his eyes and returned his attention to the strange foreigner. "Withdraw with Han Xiao, I''ll deal with this."


    Uncle Hao nodded and under the gaze of the two gold rankers crept closer towards Gale, where the young master had passed out. Gale didn''t bother to do anything. Not simply because there was a gold ranker on the other side, though that was reason enough. It was simply not his style to go after powerless fools.


    After the assassin withdrew with the unconscious Han Xiao, Han Shitian exploded with another burst of power as stones and furniture flew out of the way. Branches shook as the grass on the ground held onto the earth, barely to avoid getting disced. Even the simple air churned in electricity as if it was the prelude to theing of a storm.


    Gale narrowed his eyes. It seemed like both of them had power inmon, as both of their mainbat fate locks were in the domain of wind. Well, Gale''s was more with the flow, while this guy was against it, disrupting the natural order to his benefit.


    Well, since the opponent was already showing his cards, how could Gale keep himself restrained? He released his second fate lock and enchanted his whole body as golden aura blossomed over his entire aura. Even though Vale wasn''t here, as Gale had screened their bond, the Guardian Emblem still was the most potent weapon when he had the restriction on his Qi.


    Next, he released Stormsong and contested against Han Shitian.


    His opponent narrowed his eyes. "I don''t know who you are," he said as a matter of fact, "or how my foolish son offended you. However, one thing is certain, you won''t leave this ce in one piece today."


    "Aberan Al''Caizer''s son said something simr to me a couple of years ago," Gale said straightforwardly as wind rustled though their conflict and the natural energy flow churned. "He was one son less now."


    Gale didn''t know if Han Shitain was aware of a figure like the Wolf King Aberan Al''Caizer, considering Tainhui stayed out of the conflict of the world most of the time. And his expression wasn''t giving away anything either.


    Han Shitian unsheathed his longsword and confronted him. "Draw your weapon."


    "I already have."


    BOOM!


    ________________


    I miscalcted the highest tier of privileged chapters. Can only correct that next month.

 Chapter 121 118 Escalation (4)

    "I already have."


    BOOM! Shing!


    The moment Gale finished, dozens of tiny script constructs burst out into the air, surrounding Han Shitian. The constructs weren''t meant for firepower. The st merely created vibrating echoes,  but they were enough to catch the gold ranker off guard.


    However, this was merely a trick, and it ended there. The real thing was starting now.


    Now Gale needed to gain the upper hand after the trick led his opponent to a momentary pause. He needed to finish this quick and dominate the whole way. He would be killing two birds with one stone.


    Galeunched himself, wind force sweeping behind him as he moved his hand in a thrusting posture, though his arms were empty. His hands weren''t empty for long though, as a sleek double headed long spear materialised in his hand.


    Blue currents of electricity churned in the air, twisting around the materialised spear. Stormsong was a unique grade fate lock with the domain of Wind, preferably storm. It was seven feet long, terrifying as any Unique graded fate lock could get.


    Blue runes engraved in it glowed as Gale forced out his Qi into it as electricity charged through his whole being, lending him moments of bursting speed and power. Gale swung Stormsong downwards, intending to give a huge blow to his opponent on the first try.


    The high frequency of pulses of the scripts already disrupted Han Shitian''s momentum. He would need a moment to get back to his prime. Currently, he only had his body and sword to protect against Stormsong.


    And that''s what he did.


    rmed, Han Shitian could already tell something woulde his way at any moment. He calcted in his head and withdrew half a step, preparing to intercept his opponent''s attack.


    However, he certainly hadn''t anticipated the speed of the figure d in lightning pulses,ing at him aerially.


    Gale aggressed like an avatar of an ancient god, as his wrathful spear flew downwards to draw blood. Instead of receiving the blow, Han Shitian changed his tactic, withdrawing half a step to dodge the spearpletely.


    Gale saw iting as he changed his swing to a downward thrust, aiming for Han Shitian''s leg. Thunder cracked as he poured his everything in the first attack as he knew the longer the fight progressed, the disadvantageous it would be for him, thanks to the restriction over his Qi.


    Han Shitian propelled his leg forward to meet the blow, as he couldn''t reach with his sword in time. He tried to minimise as much of the damage, twirling more Qi reinforcement in his leg. However, when the spear connected, he finally figured out what he was dealing with.


    The spearhead gorged through his calve, shattering his Qi Reinforcement just at the contact with the lightning Qi. Han Shitian had miscalcted the movepletely, and he was paying for it in blood and agony.


    The spear pierced through his flesh as lightning overwhelmed his channels, disabling him to have a full grasp of his Qi.


    However, Gale wasn''t finished yet.


    Gale twisted his upper hand downwards and the lower in the opposite direction to make a quick spin of the spear, rendering the other spearhead which was facing the sky, descended to pierce at the same spot the other spearhead had, worsening his opponent''s situation to a new degree.


    Han Shitian yelped as he lurched his wounded foot to misdirect the spear. He shoved his sword at Gale''s shoulder, trying his best to push aside the foreigner.


    However, Gale saw iting, and he was quicker, agiler and with his opponent getting handicapped in higher-order Qi maniption, it took little of him to duck the sword.


    ? In the blink of an eye, Gale ducked and blocked the sword''s path with his spear. He twisted his weapon in a full arc, disabling Han Shitian from making another move. But Gale hadn''t forgotten to make an offensive move, either.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale used the full advantage of his weapon.


    He propelled the spearhead on his opponent''s face while twisting against the sword. Han Shitian lurched his head backwards to dodge, but Gale thought of it already. The spearhead would have done some real damage to his opponent''s face, but the other options weren''t that bad either.


    Gale had a good chance of disarming his opponent. And Gale took it.


    As his upward thrust missed the head, Gale changed the direction of his spear to attack with the bottom head. He propelled the bottom head upwards, swinging it vertically along the line of his opponent''s abdomen. The sword was still bound in the projection of the spear flow.


    Han Shitian had only two options now, and none of the two worked well in his favour. He could either protect his body and disarm himself, or keep the sword and have a long vertical wound on his body.


    Han Shitian chose the former option. He chose his body, withdrawing with his best effort, leaving his sword under Gale''s grasp.


    Gale didn''t bother going after Han Shitian as his opponent drew a respectful distance between them. Gale didn''t even give the sword a second nce. He wasted no moment and released his first fate lock as the sword disappeared into the void that connected to his left arm.


    "What!?" A panicked look spread across Han Shitian''s face as he hadn''t seen iting. What''s more troubling was that he could barely feel his fate lock now, and no matter what he did, locking it down or calling it back, nothing worked. "What did you do?"


    Gale whistled, catching his breath. He wasted more than half of his Qi avable to him currently. Although he dominated Han Shitianpletely, it would have beenplicated if he hadn''t gotten the early advantage.


    But that didn''t mean he would lose, it was just that he would have to work harder and win after getting wounded.


    But that doesn''t matter now.


    _____________________


    Author Note:


    The first volume will have ended in a few more chapters, however, I decided to do something more with this. Which means I''ll be pulling stuff that I nned for the second volume.


    That put me in a position to continue with the rtionship development between one of the gals. Which rtionship would you like to see the most?


    Gale x Xiaolin


    Gale x Wang Li


    Gale x Sumei


    Gale x Twilight


    Gale x Someone unexpected?


    Let me know in thements. I''ll proceed with the one that has the most votes.

 Chapter 122 119 Escalation (5)

    "What did you do?" Han Shitian bellowed at him, getting no answer.


    His fleshly wounds already started to heal. Probably the effect of a regenerative type fate lock. However, the leg wouldn''t be getting any better in a short time, unless it was above Unique grade fate lock. Gale saw to it.


    Even if he heals up, Han Shitian wouldn''t be able to do anything to him. Gale had already taken away his fang, he was almost harmless at this point. Well, notpletely.


    "Sorry," Gale told him. "You won''t get it back."


    A man couldn''t grow any more furious; that was how Han Shitian felt about Gale. "What do you mean, I can''t get it back?" he yelled. "Just because you caught me off guard in your dishonourable way, you think I can''t win against you. Give back my weapon, and we''ll see if your tricks work again or not."


    Gale tilted his head and considered. No, he wasn''t considering to yield the weapon. Han Shitian could swear all he wanted, but he wasn''t getting it back. Gale was considering if stupidity ran in their family. How in the world did this guy think Gale would give his weapon back?


    Was their fight just a y to figure out who had the bigger ball?


    Besides, how was this dishonourable in any way? Gale simply used all the advantages he had over Han Shitian. Well, it wasn''t much to be honest, two things mostly. His ability to create quick Script constructs on the go and his agility.


    If Han Shitian really thought all this dishonourable and unfair, then no battle could be fought honourably.


    Gale took Han Shitian as a martial man, but it seemed like he had more of a sheltered life than Gale had assumed. That exined how Han Xiao went down the rail.


    If the parents were no better, how could the child be better if all they ever had was their father as a role model?


    "You miserable wretch, why are you smiling?" Han Shitian screamed, getting back his control over his Qi. He certainly imed back some of his confidence with the Qi, though he was cautious about how to go on with the business as the foreigner had dominated him from the get-go.


    "You think this will end here?" Han Shitian barked again. "You think you can just leave after damaging my reputation and harming my family? You are mistaken--"


    "Who said I''m leaving?" Gale said with a chuckle. His eyes grew predatory, not intentionally, it was just how he became during a confrontation. "No, not yet."


    A momentary panic appeared in Han Shitian''s eyes, but he hid it well. As well as he could have, but it didn''t go unnoticed from Gale''s senses.


    "No, no, you don''t need to get worked up, man," Gale said, adopting an easy tone, stretching his limbs. "Man, I''m cranking. That was my first serious fight since. . . I have survived the tragedy. Six months and I have grown this dull. . . Well, it doesn''t matter anymore."


    Gale turned to find the chair he had been sitting in had copsed under their confrontation. Clicking his tongue, he brought out an easy chair out of his void lock and sat in the middle of all the wreckage.


    Han Shitian was ring at him still, narrowing his eyes.


    "Bloke, do you want me to leave or stay?" Gale smiled, understanding his dilemma. But he didn''t make it easier for Han Shitian. It wasn''t the first time Gale was making it difficult for the other party. He kind of enjoyed it, and that feeling hadn''t left altogether.


    "How long do you think it would take for thew enforcement to get here?" Gale asked.


    "Those cowardly fools are probably hiding, sensing our presence," Han Shitian sneered, evident disdain in his eyes.


    "Just like your son and your men," Gale snorted.


    Han Shitian narrowed his eyes. He clearly didn''t acknowledge Gale''s view and wanted to refute it. Sadly, he found nothing to say. . .


    "Man, I know hypocrisy is every man''s failing, but for the love of the forgotten gods, don''t wear it like your favourite ornaments."


    Han Shitian pursed his lips, taking Gale''s wisdom for granted. Gale clicked his tongue. That''s really what happens to most people when you grasp a superpower even before your brain develops. There were countless things wrong with how most people brought up their children.


    It was almost inevitable for talented practitioners to turn up as conceited fools since from the beginning they had seen strength was everything and weakness was condemnable. They were showered with all sorts of praise and worship for showing their strength.


    Of course, there were exceptions. Take Sun Ziang as an example. He was the son of a Sovereign, the strongest person in the realm, yet Gale had never seen him throwing his weight around on weaker people.


    It was all about how they were brought up from their childhood.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Well, it wasn''t like it was Gale''s problem. So he leaned back on the chair, spread his legs and waited.


    "Looks like they are taking their time," he said and turned towards Shitian. "Why don''t you offer me a drink? It is, after all, my first visit to your home?"


    Han Shitian acted like he didn''t hear him, and kept on ring at him, though not proceeding to act as well.


    Gale clicked his tongue and brought out a bottle out of his fate lock. "I''m guessing you won''t be taking anything from me as well," Gale said and removed the cork with his teeth. "Fair enough, but it''s your loss."


    The bottle contained gold-ranked spirit wine, and that too was one of a kind. Honestly, gold rank alcohols weren''t good for his health, but Gale didn''t really care about it at the moment. The worst it would do was to keep him sedated for a couple of days. Gale had contingencies against that.


    Gale poured a mouthful of the alcohol and swallowed the steely, thrilling taste of the wine. A lukewarm feeling spread throughout his throat to all over his body as Gale sneezed.


    However, one mouthful wasn''t enough for him. Gale took in another and then another, unconcerned about the lucidity dulling in his mind.


    Gale would have finished the bottle if it weren''t for two enforcers knocking on the door in time.


    Gale recognised both of them. It was the old Captain Ziran, and the newly appointed noble enforcer, Sun Ziang. The two crept into the vicinity of the mansion, eyes peering at the very nook and corner where their minute battle held some effect.


    Honestly, it wasn''t much. Gale wasted the fool before he could even start, but their initial confrontation did some superficial damage, but nothing that a few marks couldn''t fix.


    Well, there was one thing that a few marks or even a lot of marks couldn''t fix. Han Shitian''s pride.


    Gale chuckled out loud, earning rmed gazes from the gold ranker and the two enforcers.


    "Sorry," Gale said. He was about to be stood up, but he felt a bit tipsy in his head. He spread his hands wide and blinked, bringing back some lucidity of mind.


    "I''m alright," he said clearly. "Also sorry for creating a mess for you to clear up. In my defence, I can''t hold back when they go after people I deem close to me."


    Sun Ziang narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"


    "You should ask that stupid fuck?" Gale pointed towards Han Shitian. "Nope, not him, though I''m not saying he isn''t a stupid fuck. It was his son I''m talking about."


    "Young Man, collect yourself," Old Ziran said, disapproval evident in his eyes. "You aren''t doing anyone a favour acting like this."


    Gale scoffed. "Young man?" he repeated. "Who''s young here? I feel like I''m fifty years old. Gosh, I''m too old to deal with shit like this again and again. . . Anyway, you want a report, ask that hypocrite fuck. Eh, this time I''m talking about him."


    Gale was pointing at Han Shitian again. The old captain pursed his lips and Sun Ziang shook his head in disapproval.


    "Enforcers," Han Shitian drew everyone''s attention. "You can already see how disrespectfully this fool is acting, and I reassure you that''s the least of his offence . . . ."


    Han Shitian started to exin everything he encountered aftering to his house. Of course, he coloured everything in his favour. Gale only snorted a couple of times as he heard that.


    "Not only he acts dishonourably, but he''s also a thief," Han Shitian continued. "He stole my fate lock and disagreed to give it back."


    "Bloke, you''re making it sound like I''m the big baddy here," Gale said, snorting. "As If I came to your house, bullied all your men, beat them up along with your kid. Well, now that I say it, I do seem like a bad guy."


    Gale sneezed again and turned towards the enforcers. "I assure you, I''m not the bad guy. I would never act without being provoked," he said. "Well, I did take away his toy, but that doesn''t make me a thief. Hmm, what that makes me?"


    Gale was lost in contemtion for a moment. A momentter, his eyes glittered as he found his answer.


    "I know what that makes me," he said,ughing wildly. "It makes me awesome. This dumb fuck said I won''t be able to leave in one piece. Fuck, look at me now."


    Gale flew up in the air under the gazes of the enforcers and the furious Lord of the House. "I''m leaving now," he said. "As for the statement? Well, I sent a written statement to the enforcer''s office beforeing here. That should suffice."

 Chapter 123 120 Women (1)

    Gale flew away far as a quiet breeze kissed his cheeks and moved on caressing his body. He flew at the top of the speed his current ability let him, and it was still rather fast, touching almost the hundred KMPH mark.


    However, there was a demerit of going at such a high speed as well. It cost more Qi than Gale could recover in time to go on for a longer period of time. At this rate, within about five minutes, he would be out of Qi to fly.


    What''s even more worrying was that Gale didn''t seem to be aware of or care about that fact. He flew intensely, uncaring about anything, the high-graded alcohol dulling his mind as a semnce of peace spread throughout his body.


    For the moment, everything was peaceful. No past memories or nightmares to haunt him, no annoying individual for him to bother. He was at peace after so long.


    Then Gale fell.


    It was aplete free fall, and Gale did nothing to make thending less damaging. Well, if you call that anding. He fell on the wheat field with a quiet thud. Even though he was above a lush green wheat field, it only reduced the damage by a little, considering Gale had been flying quite high in the air.


    Gale was conscious even after the fall, his mind too dull with the high-grade alcohol for him to feel much pain. He sprawledfortably in the middle of the field, uncaring about anything.


    ***


    Several minutester, a shifting image of a figure moved through the wheat field. Her movement wasn''t affecting the crops even a little. She seemed to be phased through the crops to reach for the man that dropped from the sky.


    She stopped about ten paces away from the unconscious figure in the wheat field, as if considering what her duties entailed.


    The figure was in aplete jet-ck costume that hugged her body too tightly, though not giving away any appealing vibe. She was far from being an appealing figure. The figure appeared eerie and worrying from any point of view you watch her.


    Twilight stood there for several seconds and seemed to sigh. It was never easy to read her when she waspletely covered in the soul cloak. Even her eyes were always distant.


    Eventually, against her better judgement, she went to help her employer, even though this wasn''t in the job description.


    Twilight had watched him from the shadows for some time now and knew he didn''t mean harm to anyone and only wanted to leave in peace. However, heaven seemed to be against his will, throwing nuisances in his direction from the first day.


    Twilight had heard some part of his story when he was telling that to the disciple and the other woman after he first employed her for their safety. Well, she hadn''t started from the beginning. She heard from where he had already escaped from being a ve, however listening to all this, she couldn''t help but feel sympathy for him.


    His misery hadn''t stopped after he escaped from envement.


    Twilight drew closer and found the foreigner sleeping peacefully under the naked sky. She hadn''t learned of all the misfortune he went through, nor should it be her ce to act. But Twilight stooped next to him and held him up.


    For a practitioner of her caliber, his weight wasn''t much, but she was grappling to keep him steady with the sheer size of him. Atst, she put his chin on her shoulder and her arms on his waist and hips and crept from there.


    Twilight wasn''t sure how far she would be able to move him, as it would look weird carrying someone like this under the gazes ofmon folk. Even though the Soul Cloak hid her face and bearing, it would be extremely embarrassing for her to be seen like this.


    Unfortunately, for her, her ability to go invisible or shifting to spiritual nature didn''t work on living things.


    The Inn her employer was supposed to go to was quite the distance away, and so was the enforcer''s office, not that it was a good ce to leave him there since her employer seemed to get annoyed whenever he had to deal with bothering matters.


    She still didn''t understand why he acted so erratically. Of course, he was furious, finding the counterparts sent by the noble family attempting to throw a disaster at his farnd. However, why drink such a high-grade alcohol if you can''t digest it?


    Not to mention in such a situation. This didn''t seem like a good decision to make at that moment, not to mention from someone who fought in the war.


    Twilight knew the answer to that. She just had to think a little. Sometimes she felt like that.


    Sometimes everything feels so empty that you simply don''t care what happens to you.


    Listening to the slow breathing of her employer, she crept quicker, trying to find a secure ce where she could leave him.


    After several minutes of searching, all Twilight could find were some farmhouses andmon households. Since she couldn''t leave him to any unfamiliar person, she chose an abandoned farmhouse where nobody bothers to go.


    Twilight worked fast and went the long way to get into the abandoned farmhouse. The farmhouse was quite spacious, though full of dry woods and crops. She selected one corner in the back, shaded by the dry woods, to leave her employer.


    She gave the surroundings another good look and returned to her employer, who was still in the middle of perhaps his most precious and much-needed rest. She had seen him work at scribing relentlessly day and night, even if there was no reason to.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m leaving for the duty you employed me for," she left those words as her figure disappeared from the farmhouse.


    ***


    An unknown timeter, Gale finally found some semnce of rity, though he didn''t bother to wake up. The fight was short, but it was tiring. And so was life.


    It wouldn''t hurt to simplyy down in the middle of nowhere and rest for a little longer. Everything was taken care of. Twilight will take care of his disciple even if the Han Family go after her in indignation. Not to mention, there was aw and order in ce to keep the peace.


    ''Yes, I should justy here like this for a while,'' Gale mused. ''Who would want to leave when she was stroking my hair so gently? So lovingly. I want to stay like this for my whole life as she caresses my hair.''


    "Saarya--" Gale called unwittingly, longingly. Then he remembered.


    Saarya was dead.


    She was dead for over five years now. And so was Selene, though for a lesser time. ''Then who''s caressing my hair?''


    Gale was about to spin into wakefulness when a palm touched gently over his cheek.


    "Rest," a voice whispered gently, "you deserve it."


    Gale found the voice familiar, but he couldn''t put a finger on the owner of the voice. He was sure he knew the person that had such a gentle tone that almostpelled him to rest.


    It can''t be Saarya for obvious reasons. Or was this one of those twisted dreams that he was so familiar with? Those dreams started gently, but they turned into a nightmare and poured him with all the guilt, hatred, and malice the world could ount for.


    "Rest," the voice said again in her ever-so-soothing tone. "Mysterious Farmer Expert, you most need it now."


    "Mhm," Gale hummed, finally understanding who it was. Thankfully, it wasn''t one of those nightmares.


    But why was she here?


    Well, he would just need to ask her. Gale blinked a few times and opened his eyelids a little. He was confused to as her lovely face came into his sight. With bleary eyes, she looked just the spitting image of Saarya, though younger and perhaps prettier.


    "Sumei," Gale called in a whisper. He had been sleeping on herp so far in some abandoned house.


    "Yes," the woman said, still ruffling his hair. Gale was lurching up from herp, but she stopped him. "Don''t move, Mysterious Farmer Expert. I don''t know how you got it, but your body and mind are in a terrible state to move around. How can a man get such fatigue!"


    "Mostly through nightmares and annoying stuff Ie across," Gale answered curtly as she put her fingers on his lips.


    "Hush," Sumei said, caressing his face and hair, soothing him to the realm of dream. "That exined why you''re so fatigued. You haven''t had a good sleep for some time. . . I don''t know, weeks? Months?"


    "It isn''t so bad," Gale mumbled, and the finger was on his lips again.


    "What did I say?" Sumei asked.


    Gale smiled awkwardly. She didn''t stop soothing him though. Gale felt embarrassed at first and then decided there was no harm in resting in a pretty girl''sp. It certainly wasn''t the first time.


    "I guess you have a few questions about why or how I''m here," Sumei continued. "But I think you''ll be better not knowing them until you have your rest."


    Sumei stopped caressing his hair and dropped her head closer to his, her lips growing closer to his. However, she didn''t kiss him, only touched his forehead with hers, to his relief or frustration, Gale didn''t know.


    Honestly, at the moment, Gale only needed that, the warmth of someone who would understand him and wouldn''t ask anything in return.


    Gale was almost sure Sumei wasn''t the one, but he didn''t care about it now.


    "Gale," Sumei asked, calling his name for the first time, "you really need rest."

 Chapter 124 121 Women (2)

    Gale had been sleeping in peace after a long time. His mental fatigue and frustration were relieved in those few hours of sleep. Even the drowsiness the alcohol provided spelt away by arge portion as his mind cleared up.


    Although Gale was feeling heavy and worn out at the post-hangover exhaustion, he knew it was about time he should wake up. Gold rankers'' fights were nothing to scoff at, considering the ce they were in. Even though they fought for only a little and much of the ramifications hadn''t left the boundary of the Han family, it should have created a pensive atmosphere in the surrounding areas.


    Not to mention rumours like these tend to grow faster.


    Unwittingly, his brows wrinkled as Gale felt the caressing on his face. It wasn''t as gentle as Sumei, though. Hoping to find out what it was, Gale jerked awake from his sleep to find the big boy on top of him, licking his face in affection.


    Gale looked at his buddy with confusion in his eyes.


    "Woof!" Vale replied, finding him awake.


    Gale smiled softly, estimating he wasn''t dreaming. He wrapped his arms around Vale and hugged him quietly. They stayed there like that for a while until Gale found his disciple just next to him with an apprehensive expression on her face.


    Xiaolin was not in her cultivation clothes, though in a simr light blue attire with full sleeves instead of the sleeveless training clothes. She had a robe on top of it as the atmosphere was rather on the colder side, especially for her.


    "Master," Xiaolin called, unsure what to say next. "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah, yes," Gale said and sat up, Vale still on hisp.


    This was really unbing of him to let her see him like this. Thankfully, she hadn''t seen much.


    Gale drew his sights around the surroundings, scanning to find the general direction. He didn''t remember getting here, but he did remember the woman who let him rest on herp.


    Gale sighed wistfully.


    He was in arge farmhouse that was used as a storehouse now with nothing too extraordinary to take note of. Bulks of dry wood, packs of fertilisers, and crops arranged in rows around him. There was no artificial light source lit up in the room, giving it a rather eerie vibe.


    ''That girl certainly didn''t have an idea what a romantic ce should be like. . .'' he mused.


    Gale didn''t find Sumei¡ªthe girl that had taken him here¡ªanywhere near, or even a sign left behind by her. Considering the state he was in, Gale needed to thank that girl for this, not to mention the first peaceful sleep he had after so many days.


    "Master. . ." Xiaolin''s voice trailed off as she threw him aprehensive look.


    "Yes," Gale said. "Linlin, when did you two get here?"


    "Not long," his disciple answered. "It took Vale some time to find you, but we only arrived here a few minutes ago."


    Gale nodded, caressing Vale''s white fur. "Let''s get out of here first."


    It was almost evening outside as the sunset on the mountain range in the south quietly. It looked breathtaking, though they couldn''t take much of the site from there. Chilly winds started to grow as they found themselves in the middle of a Wheatfield.


    They moved further as Gale unconsciously looked around, unsure where he fell. He turned to find his disciple was embarrassed, too. Apparently, she just followed Vale on the way here, unconcerned about where she was going.


    "No worries," Gale said, "Vale knows the way."


    "Woof!" The dog affirmed.


    "Care to sit here for some time?" Gale asked as he gestured to a higher slope where they could see the sunset better.


    Xiaolin nodded as he moved towards the higher slope. Vale was the first one to reach, followed by the two of them.


    "It seems you have some questions in your mind," Gale said as they sat under the naked sky. One of the half-moons peeked though the stray clouds. It was too early for stars to twinkle.


    "Master, what happened?"


    "Nothing too serious," Gale said. "That boy--the one used to harass you, he tried to harm the farm and us again. So I decided to pay him a visit. There I had a little argument with his dad and that was about it."


    "Argument?" Xiaolin blinked as realisation dawned on her. She scanned her master with a worried look in her eyes. "Master, are you injured?"


    "Do I look like I''m injured?" Galeughed. "No, nothing from that hypocritical fool. You should have seen his face though. It was just like when you seize a toy from a kid."


    "Master, will this create trouble for you?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Nothing that I can''t handle," Gale smiled. "It isn''t finished, though. I would need to sit with them under the provision of the local authorities, which would be he annoying."


    Xiaolin nodded as she bit her lips, probably thinking all this mess was because of her.


    "What are you thinking, Sweetpie?" Gale stroked her hair softly. "You don''t need to worry about that. Till I''m standing, nobody cane after you with riggedints or harass you. Although I don''t have ess to all the power that I used to have before, I can still deal with most problems this little town can throw at us.


    "If you''re still worried, then let me remind you, my senior brother is a Gemheart rank expert. As for my master. . . Although he moves around all over the ce and doesn''t have time, if pushes to shove you can expect him to show up. Also, he''s a Grandmaster, do you know what that means?"


    Xiaolin shook her head.


    "Grandmasters are just a step away from bing a Sage or a Sovereign," Gale said, "and you know what the other two roles entail."


    Of course, most grandmasters never managed to be either Sage or Sovereign, but the Oldman was different. Well, his master wasn''t really an Oldman by this world''s standard, but he was still five times older than Gale--and that made him old, ancient, in Gale''s standard.


    "If I say it like this, I kind of appear like the only ck sheep under his tutge," Gale considered out loud.


    "Master, you mentioned something about not having ess to your full power?" Xiaolin asked with a frown. Clearly, she wasn''t sure if it was something she should ask or delve into, but since Gale never really rebuked her for questioning, she asked atst.


    Gale sighed, unconsciously hiding his left ankle. "It isplicated," he said atst. "You won''t understand it fully, just consider I was heavily injured some time ago and still in recovery."


    "You''re getting better, right?" Xiaolin asked, her voice wishful.


    "I hope so," Gale caressed her hair softly. The rest was good, and it made him feel a lot better. "Anyway, enough about me, poppet. How''s your recovery going?"


    "Master, I''m not a child," Xiaolin said, pouting.


    "True," Gale agreed, fondling her cheek. "But you have an adorable baby face."


    Gale could feel his frustration driving away just by doing that. He smiled as Linlin looked away, pouting. "So how''s your recovery?" Did you go through the acupuncture therapy yet?"


    "I''m almost fully recovered," his disciple said, holding her wrist up, where the bracelet still clung to her hand. "But I''m still abiding by your. . .teachings. As for the therapy, I was supposed to go through that tomorrow."


    "Well, then perhaps I''ll be able to take you back with me," Gale said as aplicated expression appeared on Xiaolin''s face. "Is something wrong?"


    Xiaolin nodded curtly. "Master, will there be a problem if I stay here for a few more days?"


    "What''s wrong?" Gale''s brows knitted together.


    "Nothing with me," Xiaolin said. "It''s about Elder Sister. Her marriage broke. . ."


    The knit in his brows formed a frown as Gale considered. "When did this happen?"


    "Yesterday," Xiaolin said, biting her lower lip. "I found elder sisterpletely broken up when I got there. Everything she had been working on turned to dust with just some argument. Worst of all, none of this was her fault."


    "How did ite to this?" The frown hadn''t disappeared from his brows.


    "Apparently, her husband. . . former husband now doesn''t really support her in spirit arts."


    "Isn''t this how the tear started in their rtionship in the first ce?" Gale asked. "Or am I missing something?"


    "No, you''re right, master." Xiaolin sighed, thinking how stupid the whole thing had been. "They grew apart as both started to stray into two different worlds. There weremunication problems too, but apparently, it was more insidious than you think.


    "Supposedly, Gu Dong wanted to get resources from Grandma to make his advancement into Silver, however, after spending so much in buying elder sister the fate lock, Grandma was short on wealth, not to mention silver advancement is never meant to be cheap. She advised him to wait another year and better care of his family, which started the argument."


    ''So isn''t this my fault?'' Gale mused. It was him who they bought the fate lock from. Gale had been encouraging himself that he had done a good job, but never ever in his wildest dream had he seen iting.


    Then he remembered the wrong advice, he gave Wang Li. ''I needed to apologise to her for all this, even though I''d worked on goodwill.''


    "It has nothing to do with you, master," Linlin said, reading his expression. "It is all Gu Dong''s fault. He single-handedly damaged their rtionship and hurt his elder sister. I''ll never forgive him for this."


    Gale nodded with a sigh. "So how''s your elder sister now?"

 Chapter 125 122 Women (3)

    "So, how''s your elder sister now?"


    "She''s. . . doing better, I guess." Xiaolin let out a deep breath to answer. "She''s cycling wholeheartedly now, a bit excessively to be healthy, but I think she will be fine. All she needs is time."


    Xiaolin had feared her elder sister would leave everything and wallow in misery after all that happened. However, that didn''t seem to be the case, much to her delight. Although she was practising spirit arts exclusively now, probably mostly to do with what Gu Dong said and how it affected her, Xiaolin was sure it was merely a phase.


    Wang Li would get better. It was just a matter of time.


    Gale nodded thoughtfully. "You can stay as long as you like," he said.


    "Thank you, master," Xiaolin said, bowing curtly. Then she remembered the other task she was given. The task she failed toplete. To be honest, it wasn''t simply a failure toplete, she hadn''t even done anything to get started in it. "Also, I forgot to look for a maid that you entrusted to me. I''m sorry, with everything going on in the inn, I couldn''t be bothered with it."


    "It''s alright," Gale said. "The house will be ready around the festival. I''m nning to find a good maid by then. So we have some time."


    Xiaolin nodded, though she didn''t seem enthusiastic about getting a maid that would leash her around if she became even a little disobedient.


    "Master, do you have any instructions for me?" Xiaolin asked, hesitating.


    "Recover well for now," Gale said. "Then you''ll go back to your training. I also n to give you some practical experience in the field, but that will have to wait for some time. Enjoy these days now."


    They talked about random topics for some time as they watched the sunset. It was getting even colder as the chilly wind blew from the mountains. It didn''t take long for the sky to turn starry. They eventually stood up, as there was no topic left to talk about.


    "It''s gettingte, let''s get out of here," Gale said. He stood up and took a deep breath. Her master looked around the surroundings and at her. He hesitated for a moment, but decided to ask her about it. "Linlin, would you like to go back to the inn flying?"


    "Umm, yes," Xiaolin said immediately as her eyes gleamed. Flying had been one of her long desires since she started practising spirit arts. Although this wouldn''t be the real thing as she would only fly with the help of her Master, it was still something she had been looking forward to for some time now.


    "Well, I promise to give you a ride," Gale said with a thin smile on his lips. "Alright, give me your hand."


    Xiaolin did as Gale clutched her by the shoulder. However, they remained in an awkward position until Gale moved his arm around her waist to get a better grasp of their position.


    Xiaolin was flustered, obviously. Thankfully, her master couldn''t see her face.


    She heard her master say: "Ready?"


    Xiaolin hummed in agreement and turned to find the white hound looking at them adorably. "What about Vale?"


    "I guess he has to go back running," her master said, drawing his sight towards Vale. "Trust me, he doesn''t like flying."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Vale woofed a couple of times, circling them as her master started. A swirl of steady wind formed under them, swaying their robes and hair. Xiaolin sucked in a deep breath.


    They hadn''t lurched even a metre up in the air, as Xiaolin unwittingly clutched Gale tighter, fearing that she would fall. However, her master''s arm was clutched firmly on her waist for her to be worried.


    "Stay steady," Gale reminded as they went further up in the air.


    They were propelled forward as a strong wind thrust behind them. The chilly wind kissed her cheeks as Xiaolin looked, squinting her eyes. She found Vale running after them, lunging on the way, moving through the Wheatfield. She saw the farmhouse and all the other houses in the vicinity as they became smaller.


    Excitement coursed through her and Xiaolin closed her eyes, feeling the chilly wind stroking her face, swirling around their body. Xiaolin took a deep breath as a charming smile crept on her lips. The excitement hadn''t diminished inside her. It only rose as she felt the freedom of flying.


    "Want to go faster?" her master asked, his eyes locked on forward.


    "Yes," Xiaolin said without thinking, drawing her sight towards him.


    "Clutch tighter and brace yourself," Gale said as the wind thrust behind them started to rise.


    Xiaolin pulled her arms around Gale''s chest and clutched as tight as she could as the pace at which they were going almost doubled within an instant. Xiaolin''s heart skipped a beat as the speed kept on rising.


    She kept her eyes closed, and her head struck to Gale''s chest. Eventually, she opened her eyes when their speed reached a constant mark. Xiaolin had the urge to yell in the open air.


    "If you have trouble handling the wind, I can protect you with Qi," her master''s voice reached barely as winds literally pped her face, buzzing in her ears.


    "It''s alright," Xiaolin said and repeated it again as the first time she was barely audible with the rising speed of the wind.


    "Looks like Vale is going to win the race today too," Gale said.


    Xiaolin drew her sight on the ground and quickly found the white spot, keeping up with them easily, leaping through the fields.


    The Inn wasn''t that far away, considering they were taking the skyway. They would be there within ten minutes, however, to give her a better experience of flying, Gale took a roundabout way, flying encircling the way.


    Atst, it came to an end as Galended with her in the centre of the garden.


    Xiaolin still had her face down on his chest and seemed to have forgotten that theynded. However, she didn''t have the fortune to remain in her master''s embrace for long as she heard a voice.


    "Girl, aren''t you a fast one?"

 Chapter 126 123 Women (4)

    "Girl, aren''t you a fast one?" Wang Li said.


    Xiaolin jerked awake from her stupor and skidded off Gale''s embrace to maintain a distance. That only earned a chuckle from Wang Li.


    "Elder sister, what are you talking about?"


    Gale had already noticed Wang Li from the air, but that didn''t stop him fromnding there. Well, it was better than dropping in front of the Inn.


    Vale ran out of the other side toe to the garden. He woofed smugly as if telling him he won the race.


    "So where have you two, Master and Disciple, been?" Wang Li asked again.


    "We weren''t alone," Xiaolin came to defence almost instantly. "Vale was with us."


    "Sure," Wang Li said with a meaningful smile. "I can already see that."


    "Elder sister!"


    Gale let out a breath. "Linlin, go make a cup of tea for me."


    Xiaolin left at once, getting an excuse.


    Wang Li snorted and drew her attention towards the tall man. "Tell me truthfully. Are you spoiling her too much?"


    "Not really," Gale said. "I had been training her with an iron hand, though I went a bit soft after her injury."


    Wang Li nodded thoughtfully. She clearly wanted to say something, but refrained, probably thinking it wasn''t her ce to talk about it.


    "Speak freely," Gale advised.


    "I don''t think you should treat her any better than most masters do with their disciples," Wang Li said atst. "Of course, I know little about all this business, but it''s too easy to take things for granted if you get everything in your hand reach. Honestly, I can''t see Xiaolin going on that road, however, with a case like how she got injured, it was too easy to imagine her doing something like this again."


    "You''re right," Gale said, contemtive. He had almost no experience in teaching or even discipling someone else. Of course, he would make a mistake. He certainly had mistaken to assume the amount of frustration Xiaolin had which got her to train excessively.


    Of course, there was a gender difference. Xiaolin couldn''t talk about everything with him, nor anything else less regarded with spirit arts. She had loosened up that personality after her injury as she had nothing to do these past few days.


    "Thankfully, I n to get a maid to look after her all the time," Gale added.


    "Maid?" Wang Li raised an eyebrow. "You sure she would listen to a maid when she literally went against your advice?"


    "That''s why I''m nning to get someone far stronger than Linlin, Iron or copper rank, at the least."


    "Iron ranker for a maid?" Wang Li had aical expression on her face. "You''ll certainly have a better time looking for a groom for her than to find a maid for her."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Really? Well, I guess that''s the problem with lower-cultivated ces. However, I think with enough remuneration and perks, most copper and iron rankers could be tempted to take the job."


    "What kind of remuneration and perks are you talking about?" Wang Li asked, interested.


    "Pay in gold marks and probably some useful advice in spirit arts," Gale answered. He already thought about the answer long ago. Of course, only the gold marks would have sufficed in most ces to get a good maid, but considering the ce Gale was in, he thought it was necessary to tempt someone good.


    "Gold marks? Advice in spirit arts?" Wang Li''s eyes widened, and she shook her head, remembering Gale''s means of doing stuff. "I can already see dozens of girls throwing themselves at you, learning gold marks are involved. As for practitioners, they would be too, though I think mostly for the advice; advice from a master of all people, that shouldn''te cheap."


    "Of course, it wasn''t normal maid-work the maid would have to do. I''m looking for someone who had a good foundation in spirit arts and can help Xiaolin practise. The gap between us two is toorge for her to have a reasonable perspective."


    "Still, I can see girls going crazy over your offer," Wang Li said with augh. "Even I feel tempted. If only I didn''t have things of my own to take care of."


    Of course, she was joking, but the smile was genuine. That didn''t mean she got over her breakup with her husband. Gale had been in her ce too many times for too many reasons to understand that easily.


    "Though I must admit," he added as he turned his head to the garden, "you probably are the best person to keep Xiaolin steady on things."


    Wang Li clearly wanted to say something at hearing that, but she pursed her lips.


    "I see you''re pressing the Reverse Cycling technique," he said. "Anyway, I got the script construct that I promised to keep your garden from going barren. Let''sy them in ce. It''ll only take a quarter of an hour at best."


    "Do you need my help with something?"


    "Yes," Gale said as he brought out his scribing tool bag along with various parchment he already scribed in. "Help mey them."


    The two of them got to work after that. Wang Li clearly had no idea what Master Scriber would need inying the constructs, but after a little direction from him, she managed fine. However, the most formidable job for her had been covering some spirit glue-type thing on the barricade around the trees and garden.


    After a couple of minutes, Xiaolin joined and helped too, as they finished the job in about ten minutes.


    "This would protect the trees for a hundred of years if nothing went wrong with the scripts," the master scriber said, inspecting his work.


    "Master, I don''t think most of these trees live even a tenth of that."


    "Very good, Linlin, now go warm the tea for me."


    Xiaolin pouted. "Master, you can do that easily using just a little bit of Qi."


    "What? You want your master to work for himself?" Gale asked in the pretence of rage. "Why did I take you as my disciple then, if not for making you work in my stead?"


    "Because I''m too pretty to be left on my own," saying that Xiaolin immediately ran with the cup of tea.

 Chapter 127 124 Women (5)

    Gale was momentarily lost as he watched the slender figure leave to warm his tea. She probably wouldn''t being back to serve the tea after her bold reply.


    "She grew bolder than I assumed," Wang Li said with a meaningful look. "I wonder, under whose bad influence she grew this flirty."


    Of course, her eyes were pointing at the tall foreigner, who could only snort and ignore her im silently.


    "You know," Wang Li said and hesitated for a while. "You know, she likes you?"


    "Of course," Gale said, "Everyone likes me. I''m very likeable."


    Wang Li threw him a t look, full of disapproval. "You know what I''m talking about."


    Gale nodded after a while, finding the older woman serious.


    "What do you think about that, then?"


    "I think it was just teenage infatuation," Gale said immediately. "She''ll get over it soon enough."


    He couldn''t wait to end this topic right there, right at that point. However, it was not to be as the Innkeeper seemed to be in the mood to get in the middle of this.


    "What if it''s more than just an infatuation?" Wang Li asked as if she was absolutely certain about it.


    "We''ll talk about that when the timees," Gale said. "Honestly, I don''t think it''ll be an issue after she breaks out of the bubble of this little town."


    Wang Li stared at him as if looking at apletely lost cause. "You don''t understand women, do you?"


    Gale snorted almost immediately. "I understand women better than most people," he said, with absolute certainty. "As for Xiaolin? She was but a girl, I''m sure she would get over whatever infatuation she had over me in time when she would be introduced to the broad world."


    "Hmm," Wang Li hummed, looking at him, and considering his words.


    "What?"


    "Nothing," Wang Li said. "I was just wondering if you ever will be able to discard your Maidenless brand at this rate."


    Gale glowered at her. "Women, you don''t know me," Gale said, firm on his confidence. "Just point me to a woman, and I can assure you she''ll be in the bag before sundown."


    Wang Li gave him an incredulous look, clearly not believing his words. "It certainly doesn''t look like you can pull something like that off," she said, her voice bearing the weight of a challenge.


    "I''ll show you," Gale said. "Tomorrow, just point me to the toughest woman you can find."


    Wang Li snickered atst. She certainly hadn''t expected the Master Scriber to be worked up about it like this. Perhaps it was a sensitive topic for most foreigners. Or this one in particr.


    "Alright, we''ll witness your charm at ater date," Wang Li said,ing back to the topic. "Anyway, you don''t have a problem being in a rtionship with someone who''s your disciple, right?"


    Gale narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so infatuated with these lines of questions today?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    "Just answer the question," Wang Li said. "I know It''s nothing abnormal in the martial world for a master to have a rtionship with their disciple. Of course, there are exceptions, some masters are too infatuated with spirit arts to care about anything else, but you don''t seem like that kind of master to me."


    Gale shook his head as he rested his bottom on the veranda. Still not prepared to give an answer. Of course, he knew all this. A rtionship between a master and a disciple was almost a tradition if they were of the opposite sex in some ces. There were even ces where they practice this kind of rtionship ardently.


    Honestly, the reason behind all this wasn''t just lust or simple desire. Practitioners live a long life, several hundred years if they made it to gold. Most of these practitioners hardly have any hobby other than practising spirit arts relentlessly for their life. Without war, a practitioner''s life was more mundane than you can imagine. They are lonely creatures.


    With the gap of the years lessening with their long age, it wasn''t really taboo to get into a rtionship with your disciple.


    Honestly, there were too many fictions about these kinds of love stories that made the master-disciple rtionship so popr. Lord Heartme was one huge example of this. That fe was he lucky getting to dig his master.


    Honestly, Gale wouldn''t have such a problem with it if he was doing it with his master, too. But unfortunately, his master was a dude and rougher than Gale himself most of the time.


    ''Wait, now that I consider it, I already had a rtionship with my first master, didn''t I?'' Gale mused, remembering Saarya. The beautiful girl who had been wrongly enved, the ever-animated girl who introduced spirit arts to him.


    Although they never went through the ceremony, Saarya had been his first master in this world.


    "If you''re worried about the age difference," Wang Li continued, "that shouldn''t be an issue. By your words, you''re barely six years older than her. Gosh! The man my family arranged for me to marry was over thirty years older than me and that''s still within an eptable range. In contrast to that, six years is nothing."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It''s not just about the age difference," Gale heard himself say.


    "Then what else? Spirit arts and cultivation rank? I thought you never cared about that."


    "I usually don''t," Gale said, choosing his next words correctly, "but you should be aware the problemes withrge differences in ranks."


    Wang Li''s eyes narrowed as a pensive look appeared on her face. She bit her lips as she heard him say:


    "I was talking about pain," Gale said straight away, "not anything to do with what you suffered."


    The innkeeper''s eyes winded, finally understanding the implication behind his words. She was just about to reply, but both of their attention was pulled towards the back, where they heard an easily audible grasp. Next came the tter of feet moving on the floor.


    Gale turned his head and stared at where the noise came from. He sighed. The eavesdropper had already moved on, but he wouldn''t need to use his Qi sense or any supernatural ability to know who it was.


    "I think we should drop the topic here," Gale said after a while.


    Wang Li was thoughtful and nodded. From the look of her expression, it didn''t seem like they had nned this. Then again, this wasn''t really a secretive ce to talk about such a sensitive topic, either. Even if their voice was on the lower side.


    "I was just making sure, you aren''t oblivious about this," Wang Li said, drawing a conclusion to the topic. "I needed to confirm that Xiaolin didn''t get hurt by your obliviousness about the matter of the heart."


    Honestly, it was too easy for her to see, this being a one-sided thing for Xiaolin for decades if she never managed the courage to take the next step.


    Of course, Gale may be confident about flirting with most women, but he would never take the initiative towards someone he had a defined rtionship with. With someone, he didn''t look in that eye.


    "I can see your concern is valid, but honestly, it was too early to consider," Gale said, sucking in a deep breath. "For now, I think she better focus on her spirit art, the lost potential wasn''t that easy to get back after all."


    Wang Li nodded. "Thank you for not disregarding my worries even though you''re ufortable with this topic."


    "No worries," Gale said, waving his palm. "Honesty, I stayed with you here to apologise."


    Wang Li furrowed her brows,pletely confused. "About what?"


    "You remember that night, I gave you some advice about rtionships without thinking about who and what I''m talking about?" Gale said. "I''m sorry if it affected you in some way.  I shouldn''t have told you to work harder. Marriage, or even a simple rtionship, isn''t just about working harder on your own. It was about working together, rather than apart."


    Wang Li clearly wanted to say something in reply, but her lips quiver as she considers him. "You. . ." her voice trailed off. "You apologised for this already. Last time, you apologised and gifted chocte for everyone."


    "I did?" Gale frowned. Well, it was a sensitive topic, so he better be sure, his apology was heartfelt and she epted it.


    "I know it''s hard," Gale said after a while, dropping his head. "I know what it''s like to smile with everyone, yet bear such pain within you that tears you apart when alone. Even if theughter is genuine and heartfelt, the pain never leaves you. It was genuine too.


    "Honesty, I don''t know what advice to give as I am a lost cause myself. I wish one day we can talk about our loss, regret, and failures with ease."


    Gale stood up after saying that. He crept into the inn, leaving the aghast figure of Wang Li, who was still looking at him absent-mindedly.


    ***


    Xiaolin''s heart beat at a tremendous rate as she rushed somewhere to hide. The words she heard were still fresh in her mind, buzzing in her ears, throwing the tantrum of the anticipated future.


    She would never have the courage to even think more about this. . .


    Xiaolin crept in the familiar way of the inn, though the pathways were all confused in her head. Still, with the inn mostly being vacant, it wasn''t hard for her to find an empty room.


    Without considering anything, she rushed into the room, opened the closet and slid in. She couched inside and closed the door.


    The only thing that remained was her heartbeat. It was still racing fast, stirring as she recalled all she had heard. It wouldn''t stop after what she heard.


    ''I just have to rank up to match master, right?''


    __________________

 Chapter 128 125 Dream (1)

    The disgusting re of horn pulled me out of the few hours offort I had in my ve days like always and threw me into simmering misery.


    If I have to say what the worst part of my ve days was, in the beginning, days, my answer would be theshing, howeverter I learn, it was during these free hours that I had nothing to do other than get drunk in overwhelming miserable thoughts.


    Anyway, I won''t get into the depressive things and get on with the day.


    It was only the sixth day, and I decided I would get theshing today.


    I still had five more freebies from the other earthlings. I guess alternating with the days I would getshed, I could survive a couple of weeks, even with my injured arm.


    Let''s hope in that time my arm would get better and I would be able to earn my quota without others'' help. Well, that was why I was working out, hoping to gain some muscle to do heavy work.


    Thankfully, we have a physician among the earthlings. Despite not getting ess to any medication or fantastic potions, the physician should be able to do some grounded therapy to ease the recovery. I hoped they could.


    They woulde to take me to the doctor after the collection. Honestly, I was impressed they were able to stay united in such a disastrous situation without hope. Not only did a few dozen of them survive this hell for years, but they were also helping others to survive.


    Apparently, it turned out the guards didn''t have a problem with ves helping each other to a degree. But if it gets out of hand, it was another story. For example, if a ve turns almostpletely useless in the mine work, they would get the end of thesh along with the other ve that tried to help them.


    That''s why the earthlings only made the rule to help another neer for only seven days. And that too, with alternating days lest the guards get fishy. Well, it was hard to spare your effort to help others as well, considering the circumstances.


    Anyway, since I decided to wee their help, that made me one of them as well, which meant I would have to pull in greater effort when others were in need.


    Well, I had no problem with it as long as I''m in a fair state. Thankfully, I was getting better. I don''t know what''s the main reason for this, but I''m gaining lean muscles in my body quite fast. Probably something to do with the potion and beating I got in my first week.


    ording to 197, they were helping me to adapt. No matter how screwed their way was, it certainly helped. I had to admit that, albeit grudgingly.


    However, that didn''t mean my fatigue and stress were any less.


    So at work, I didn''t mine half-heartedly or skid around the ce for something new to see. I worked methodically, definitely not in the hope of meeting the quota, but just to get used to the work. Not to mention it was a great exercise to gain muscle mass as well.


    Really, half of the ves here had an athletic body, the rest were either lean or in poor condition¡ªthey probably wouldn''tst longer than a few months.


    Well, I would be the same without the help from the others.


    Anyway, let''s skip to something more interesting. So collection. . .


    I went my way along with Cameron to get my beating, pushing my trolley half-heartedly. At least, I had a few dozen crystals to show for today, though that was still a disappointing number for the guards.


    Also, my number ofshes hadn''t reverted to the initial ten just because I magically seeded in passing the quota for a day. It would still be counted from where I was left off.


    Thirtyshes. Just remembering the number made me feel like tiny insects running on my skin.


    "Cam," I called Cameron, who was walking next to me. "If I don''t make it today, tell them that I had a stomachache."


    Cameron threw a tired look and nodded. Of course, it hadn''t been easy on him at all. The older man had to pull up all his efforts to meet the quota. He had to work for extra hours almost every other day to keep up with his growing fatigue.


    "Think positive," the former ountant said, "you have thicker skin, you''ll make it."


    "Mate, you clearly didn''t have any idea what it feels like," I said, considering the words to describe the agony. "Everysh is like a death sentence to my being. Then again, it''s only pain. Simple pain that reminds you of what hell should be like."


    Cameron considered replying, but halted as his trolley hit someone from behind, though not too hard. The other man was still standing like a column. He turned with a heavy scowl on his face.


    "Sorry," Cameron said unwittingly, only to find out the other ve was a native and didn''t understand English.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The other ve was one tall person, even half a head taller than me with a couple of years more on him. He had a hawkish face and chiselled jawlines. However, the unique feature was the burn marks on his arms that passed under his robes. He looked worn out, but healthier than most people in this hellhole.


    He gave us a nod and went his own way.


    We didn''t think we would meet that ve again, however, we were, of course, mistaken. Less than ten minutes passed, and we found the ve in an argument with the guards about something in the middle of the collection.


    I exchanged nces with Cameron as we scurried on to get a better look at this. This dude must have balls of steel to act this way with those exceedingly strong guards. Those guards, they could literally break stones with their bare arms. I wasn''t just simply making a conclusion, but I have seen them crushing stones with their bare arms.


    We didn''t know theirnguage to understand what their argument was about, though it was easy to guess what it was for. The crystals¡ªthe thing which was in the middle of most things here.


    Unlike us, this ve in particr had his trolley half full with deep orange-coloured crystals¡ªthe very kind that helped me to meet my quota with just a fist-sized one.


    What was interesting was that this ve had almost doubled of what the dark-skinned earthling¡ªI still didn''t know her name¡ªhad, yet it seemed he still couldn''t satisfy the guards with them.


    I guess he was one baller ve.


    He alone argued with the group of guards, his bodynguage provocative, though the guards weren''t taking it easy either.


    I understood barely a couple of words of vulgarities the man threw at the guards, watching them with contempt. Yeah, most of the words I picked up were vulgarities. Well, what do you know, ves had hard lives, they didn''t have a filter.


    "That ain''t right, right?" I couldn''t wait to say, turning to Cameron.


    The former ountant was watching this closely as well. "The guards," he said, "they seemed hesitant to make a move on him."


    And before we knew it, the argument escted to unhealthy thrashing, but the fascinating part was that the man wasn''t on the lower end of it. The ve was actually the one who was putting the work in on those guards.


    Only by himself, the man leapt on four armed guards and thrashed them with bare hands, ramming his knees and elbow where they would hurt the most.


    We watched at all. Some watched unaffectedly with pensive looks in their eyes, whereas some like me--who became a ve for a shorter time--watched with relegated passion.


    I had to admit, I really would like to join him and do some work on the guards myself, but I was worried about the ramifications. Not to mention, the ve''s domination over the guards hadn''tsted that long.


    Within a few seconds, the hawkish ve got the guards heavily injured, roughly to the point of humiliation. However, there were dozens of other guards nearby, proceeding to pacify the atmosphere.


    Well, they didn''t have to act, as a momentter, the enraged ve was sprawled to the ground, spasming as a buzzing noise pulsed from his ve cor.


    I knew it. They really have an electrocuting feature on the cor. Damn. Damn me. . .


    However, the ve''s misfortune hadn''t stopped there. The guards he beat up didn''t swallow their pain in peace. They stood up and followed by repaying the lesson, albeit a little harder.


    ? They yelled at him, calling him "A''caen" in contempt, ramming their foot on his powerless body with tremendous force. They didn''t care where they were hitting, tore up his dress, as we managed to see all the burn marks his body bore.


    It was really a miracle that this ve¡ªA''caen¡ªstill had the fire in him to go on like this.


    I was sure of it, I wouldn''t be able to survive a couple of those kicks, much less such burn marks. It just wasn''t about courage and mentality, but the physique yed a great role in it as well.


    How did he get so strong? Simple ve work didn''t seem to be the case. Well, although some ves, mostly the natives, had tougher bodies than what should be naturally possible. Still, they couldn''t hold a candle against A''caen, or the guards.


    They were on apletely different level.

 Chapter 129 126 Dream (2)

    I was really growing thicker skin. I hadn''t squirmed or spasmed on the floor after gettingshed a couple of times today. Well, it was mostly to do with my previous experience. I anticipated how terrible it would hurt, and I weed it, gritting my teeth and clenching my jaws.


    That did something. Nope, it did not decrease the pain, but someone I was able to endure more. Humans and their heads, weird business.


    Anyway, let''s not talk about violence, though I must remind you, my back only knew one sensation that day after getting theshing. You could probably guess what it was. Even at the minutest movement, my back ached at the reminder of that horrifying agony.


    I got about a couple of hours of unmoving rest in my room and used that fully,ying like a corpse on the floor. If not for the familiar knock on my door, I might even convince myself that I was a corpse.


    "It''s open," I mumbled, still unmoving from my spot. I hoped they were able to hear his mumble.


    About a few secondster, two figures entered his quarter with uncertain looks in their eyes.


    "I''m alive," I told them, lifting my arm up.


    It wasn''t the beautiful dark-skinned woman with Cameron today, but the other man¡ªNumber 196¡ªwhom we met together with the pretty woman. I had some impressions of this guy. Well, what I think of him? A little immature fanboy, and that was it. That was my whole impression of him.


    "Can you move?" Cameron asked, scurrying closer to help me up.


    Before I could answer, the other person decided to open his mouth. "I tell her this will be a waste of effort. Look at you now. Bard can''t even stand up after getting a fewshes."


    "Shut it, Stan. Nobody wants to listen to you." I told him straight as Cameron helped me up.


    Number 196 grunted, but remained silent, watching with his eyes boring at me, full of disdain. I don''t think he got the reference there. A ck guy that wasn''t a fan of hip-hop and rap music. Hmm, seemed unbelievable. Or he could be slow.


    "How far do I have to go?" I asked, excusing the pain in my head.


    Cameron turned to the other guy for the answer.


    The jaded ve sighed after a while. "In your current state, it''ll take thirty minutes at the very least," he said. "But you don''t have time to spare, so grit your teeth and clench your jaw, ''cause we''re moving."


    And so we moved out of my quarter in the cover of the night. Although it wasn''tpletely forbidden to move around during the resting time, we still moved in stealth.


    Well, Guards were fine with ves fucking around in some corner, not making too much ruckus, but they absolutely couldn''t endure ves sitting together and conspiring.


    I mean, what were they even afraid of? ves working together to conspire and overthrow them? That wasn''t even a possibility. Perhaps it would have been if there were at least a dozen ves like A''caen. That guy alone brought down four guards on his own and seemed to have the energy left to do more.


    However, that was not to be. The ve cors left him sprawled and powerless on the ground. And that could happen to every one of the ves if the guards desired it.


    Walking was painful, but I managed, thinking of the doctor I would meet who would help me recover my palm. Then I wouldn''t have to be so useless anymore.


    Number 196 led us through the turns and twists to a deeper region of the mine where Guards didn''t even venture unless they absolutely had to. It was one of the areas that had beenpletely mined as stone splinters and debris spread all over. There weren''t any of those lights. We moved through the darkness. Slow and steady.


    I was a bit startled at the sheer space of it. It should have taken thousands of ves and years of effort to pull all the magic crystals out.


    "This way," said 196, as he led through methodical pathways. After moving for a couple of minutes more, we came to a dead end. "Wait a second."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Number 196 picked up a stone and started hitting the stone wall precisely in an enigmatic rhythm.


    "Passcode," a muffled voice said from the other end of the stones, alerting mepletely. The tone was rough and rigid, and it took me a while to understand.


    I turned to Cameron to find he wasn''t that surprised. Was the former ountant here before?


    Most likely, considering he seemed to have some way to contact them and that was not through meeting directly.


    Anyway, Number 196 uttered the passcode: "Poisonlily, 12072019."


    A minuteter, the enormous block of the stone wall opened up to a door and behind them stood a round man, half a metre taller than me. I was dwarfed by his presence and even considering if he was a ve or not. The familiar ve cor on his neck provided confirmation for me. He was a native. It was too easy to figure that out, his red skin and size were evident enough.


    The giant ve watched us for several seconds as if making sure of our entry and then left us to our devices, proceeding to take care of the door.


    Number 196 led us to enter as the stone door closed after us. The huge man closed it by himself, pulling some levers.


    I swallowed and turned towards 196. "12072019," I repeated. "Is that a date?"


    Number 196 turned to me, but decided to keep his silence.


    "The date you''re summoned to this realm?" I asked again. And like before, the tall dark man didn''t even consider answering my question. However, I wasn''t just taking pain as mypany. "Huh, that passcode was elementary, I wonder--"


    "Shut your mouth and keep walking," said 196 coldly, cutting me offpletely. His tone suggested I wouldn''t want my mouth running wild in this ce.


    I turned my head in the direction of the giant man at the stone gate and swallowed. I picked up my pace and joined them to meet the doctor.


    On the way, I hadn''t met that many people. There were a handful of people. Some really were fucking in some corners here, some drinking whatever alcohol their measly ve earnings bought them, and the rest were doing their own thing.


    After a moment, a familiar figure joined them. The usual partner of 196 wasn''t in her ve attire now, but then again, it wasn''t anything extravagant either. Fair cloth, hiding most of her skin, unlike when she was working, where she barely had a blouse and underclothes to hide her beautiful and bountiful parts.


    She was drinking something as she held onto the cult with both of her palms. It wasn''t alcohol; I learned when she got closer, though it had a thick scent to it.


    "Interested?" she asked, finding him sniffing off her drink. She had a curious look in her eyes.


    "What is it even?" I couldn''t help but ask.


    "Poison," she answered, "but don''t worry, it doesn''t have much effect on men."


    I furrowed my brows.


    "It''s just a contraceptive," the beautiful woman said as she moved on, leaving mepletely dumbfounded on the back.

 Chapter 130 127 Dream (3)

    "It''s just a contraceptive."


    I stood there for some time as the implication of her words finally hit me. At first, I thought she was joking, but then I considered it further. There was no shortage of ves making out with each other here, but I haven''t even seen a single child.


    So what she said made sense. The ves had ess to contraceptives, perhaps the masters gave them, considering pregnancy would drop the rate at which the ves mine considerably. Not to mention, no ve would like to give birth to a kid in such terrible circumstances.


    I didn''t waste more time contemting that and joined Cameron on the back.


    "Cam," I asked him in a whisper. "So this ce isn''tpletely under the earthlings?"


    Cameron wasn''t too familiar with this ce to know that, though I think he got the same hints as me so far.


    "Earthlings?" the dark-skinned woman smiled in scorn, hearing me even though I whispered. "Earthlings have nothing here. As for the location? No one has it under their thumb for now. Well, most of us here were summoned. Did you just consider they summon only from earth?"


    That made me curious. So it seemed the huge giant man I saw earlier wasn''t a native of thisnd, buting from somewhere else. Some other than earth.


    "Hmm," I hummed, considering. "Has there been any other creatures than humans that got here through the summons?"


    "Probably. Now don''t waste time. We have arrived."


    We entered a stone room like any other, though it was a lot more spacious than most. There was only an elderly man and a woman in her mid-twenties there. So the doctor and his assistant. Or the doctor and her assistant. I think the chances were higher for the former, as there was no point keeping an old fellow as an assistant if he barely had any skill.


    And this old man, he seemed to have one leg in the grave for some time now.


    "Uncle Phillip, do you have energy left to treat another patient?" Number 197 asked as we came forward. She was clearly addressing the older man who seemed to be drained of all his lifespan and energy for today. While the other woman seemed more vibrant than most ves, I discovered here.


    "You came at a bad time, Imani," said the assistant.


    She was fairly skinned, though longer exposure to the heat hadn''t been any bit kinder to herpared with the other ves. She wasn''t tall like number 197¡ªwhose real name turned out to be Imani¡ªand more on the delicate side, though not as pretty as Imani, either. Well, as much as living as a ve could leave her. Not much, but she did seem like the courtly type.


    Both the doctor and patient had ve cors on their necks, and it seemed like both of them understood English.


    "What happened?" Imani asked.


    "Uncle Phillips had to treat a few troublesome patients," the assistant woman said. "Most difficult had been the A''caen. It seemed he decided to have a go with the guards today. Imani, have you seen his wounds? Dear Lord, he was broken up and. . ."


    A look of worry shed in Imani''s eyes, though it was easily reced by tiredness.


    "A''caen?" I repeated. "That tall dude that thrashed four guards on his own? Was he one of the summons?"


    The assistant turned to gaze at me for the first time. She only inspected me with her eyes and left the others to answer for her. Imani shook her head after a while.


    "The A''caen is a man of his own. He can decide what to do by himself," Imani said atst. "I just wanted Uncle to look at something. There''s no need to disturb your vital energy, though."<novelnext></novelnext>


    ? "I guess I can see one more patient for the day," the elderly man, full of wrinkles, said, straightening on his seat. The assistant helped him sitfortably.


    Imani instructed me. "Show him your injured hand."


    I did as I was told. I unwrapped the ragged clothes off the injured palm. I couldn''t help but scan the thin spiral mark again. It wasn''t the first time I was seeing it for the day, and like the other time, I didn''t know if there was any change to it or not.


    "Uncle Phillip," Imani intoned,ing closer to the doctor and his patient. "Do you see the spiral mark?"


    She didn''t have to tell him. Doctor Phillip was watching it closely, his wrinkled face lit with interest. "How did it happen?"


    I answered, which was basically a rundown version of what happened after I got here, but none of that exined the mark in my palm. Well, the only suspicious part was about Ol'' Theodore feeding me potion and nothing else.


    "This is peculiar," Doctor Phillip said, using his other palm to clutch the sses that were hanging from his neck. He put it in his nose and squinted his eyes. The sses had one of its sses shattered, so the doctor had to make it with just one eye.


    "Is this one of those tattoos the guards have?" asked 197 for the first time.


    "I can''t be sure even if you leave me with one of those tattoos topare," Doctor Phillip answered without considering. "That''s howplicated those fate marks were."


    "Fate mark?" I repeated, but nobody seemed to be in any mood to answer my question. Cameron looked as lost as me.


    "Hmm," Doctor Phillip hummed in alert, drawing his palm away from mine suddenly.


    I blinked. What was that about?


    "Did you notice something, Doc?" I asked, easing my tone.


    "Weird," the elderly man said, turning towards Imani, even though I asked the question.


    Man, I had no respect in this ce. Even the other ves didn''t regard me with anything.


    "I drew a little vital energy to see if there would be any reaction."


    "And there was a reaction," Imani said, putting two and two together easily.


    "Yes, but not something I anticipated." The doctor swallowed his breath and clutched a water jar from the sides. He started to drink it slowly, leaving us with high anticipation.


    "Uncle, are you alright?"


    "The mark," the doctor said atst, relieving his sore throat, "it swallowed my vital energy."

 Chapter 131 128 Dream (4)

    "Swallowed your vital energy?" Imani repeated, confused. "What? How?"


    "I don''t know," Doctor Phillips said. "I just drew a little energy to detect if anything was wrong with it, but before I could even detect anything, the mark swallowed the wisp of energy. If I hadn''t cut the connection in time, I think it would have continued to swallow up my vital energy."


    The doctor''s phrase left everyone in the room dumbfounded, some inplete confusion, while some with pensive deductions. Unfortunately, none of them possessed enough knowledge to draw a conclusion.


    And then there was me.


    "Question," I asked, "What is vital energy again?"


    That seemed to pull everyone from their contemtion as a few pairs of eyes locked on me. Nobody answered at first before Imani decided it was time to educate the poor fool about the things.


    "It is exactly the thing you imagined," she said. "Basically, the fuel to most magical manifestation."


    My eyes widened, and then a frown perked up on my brows. "Correct me if I''m wrong," I asked, "vital energy is the thing that magic runs on? Kind of like mana?"


    Imani nodded her head. "That is as far as we are aware," she said. "Only Uncle Phillips among us has ess to vital energy and that too in limited quantity. And no, he can''t conjure fire out of nothing or anything magical other than treating a patient. That is too limited in his means. Vital energy isn''t all-powerful, it can''t heal a dying man or even heavy injuries in short time."


    That I could guess seeing the health the doctor was in.


    I was a bit let down by that, but I was still interested to know how the old doctor managed to gain the magic of this world. I turned my head towards the elderly man who seemed to be a bit aghast, with the whole thing about the mark swallowing his energy. And also perhaps the intensity in my eyes.


    "So how did you manage to gain the magical energy, doc?" I asked and remembered to be polite. So I added: "If you don''t mind me asking."


    "I have had help," the doctor said. He didn''t seem interested in carrying on with this topic.


    Dismayed, I turned to the others and returned to the woman in the room. "You mentioned only the doctor has ess to vital energy. Why is that?"


    Imani simply pointed to the cor on her neck. "As long as you have this in your neck, all your efforts are futile," she said with deep resignation. "No matter how much help or diligence you''re in your practice, you wouldn''t be able to draw even a wisp of energy as long as this cor is still clutched to your neck."


    "But the doc has one too."


    "Thankfully, the cor in Uncle Phillips''s neck is faulty. It doesn''t restrict the transfer of vital energy," she said. "Still, we don''t have the courage to remove the cor from his neck, just in case."


    Apparently, your head would blow off if you tried to remove the cor forcefully. And not everyone could even try to remove it forcefully lest this be a good way to end your misery.


    "Hmm," I hummed. "How do you know your cor is faulty, though?"


    "There''s a fat chance of another one being faulty as we stand now. The guards test them out before putting them in your neck. Unless through some miraculous happenstance, there won''t be another case like Uncle Phillips among us. So don''t let your hope run wild with this conjecture, Bard."


    "What about that Joseph guy?" I couldn''t help but ask, remembering the fe who showed some tricks on the very first day of my very. "He says he''s one of the earthlings and could conjure fire out of nothing. How did he manage that?"


    Imani exchanged looks with 196, whose real name I still didn''t know. She sighed softly. "We don''t know the exact details, but somehow he managed to get a favour from the ones in charge. He probably did some great work that helped them with something, and in favour, they helped him gain some power. That is our best guest."


    If that is your best guess, then I must admit you guys are poor at imagining stuff. Of course, I didn''t say that out loud, considering they were already going out of their way to help me. I was not an ungrateful bitch, even with my crooked tongue.


    "He''s here before you guys," I asked instead. "Do you know how many years he was here?"


    "Not much," said 196. "A couple of years to even a few months at best. They only stopped with the summoning experiment after our batch. It seems they have started to continue yet again."<novelnext></novelnext>


    I, Cameron and the insane guy were thest batch that was summoned after two years of rest, as far as I was aware. Seems like there was something very specific they were trying to achieve with this summoning experiment, as they kept on going with it.


    Well, I think this whole endeavour with the summoning business needs a lot of funds. They shouldn''t be doing it simply to gain ves. Well, after all, ves were cheap, whereas summoning being from another dimension¡ªcreating a hole through time and space¡ªwas a risky business.


    I wondered how much energy they needed to summon someone intact. Traversing time and space that should take a lot of energy and expertise.


    I probably could never earn that much by working as a ve. Perhaps I have to unlock a new achievement to even think about it.


    "So, what do we do with this mark?" I asked, taking a deep breath. "I recall. You people mentioned something like a fate mark?"


    "That isn''t it," the doctor said. "As far as I can tell. I could be wrong, but I don''t think anyone can give you confirmation. That includes A''caen too."


    Well, I think those men in dark robes could. The ones that summoned me here. I shivered just recalling their silhouette. Nope, not a chance I would ask them, even if I had the chance.


    Imani nodded with a contemtive look. "I think it would be advisable that you hide the mark as much as you can," she said in a solemn tone. "Especially from the guards. You don''t know what kind of things they would take an interest in."


    I nodded. I hesitated for a few seconds to say something, but decided not to. I was just hesitating to know what would happen if they kept on feeding the mark with energy. But I couldn''t ask that, not from the Oldman at the very least. He looked like he would die if he spent even a little energy.


    Maybe next time.


    "As for the injury?" I asked for the real reason we came.


    "Let me check again," the elderly man said. "I was so startled by the mark that I forgot to check it properly."


    The Oldman drew my palm again and continued on with his check-up. He put pressure on my palm to know the exact spot and also asked me to describe the pain. The doctor wasn''t confident enough to draw his vital energy again to treat me again.


    After checking for a few more minutes, the doctor was finally able to draw a conclusion.


    "The bones in your left palm, it is rather fragile and has a lower density," he said. "I can''t be absolutely sure, but I think the potion didn''t heal your left arm much. It probably has to do with that spiral mark on your wrist. The mark likely absorbed most of the vital energy from the potion which is required to heal your palm, leaving your left palm rather weakpared with the rest of the body.


    "With another injury to the sour point, it was like a nail in the coffin."


    "But there was no spiral mark on my palm for the first week," I said. I was confident about that. I only noticed the mark after I bandaged it with the ragged cloth and that was after they hadn''t fed me the potion.


    "Perhaps the mark developed after absorbing the energy?" the assistant said, her tone was filled with uncertainty.


    "We won''t know it unless someone more knowledgeable tells us about it," the doctor said pessimistically. "Honesty, I barely know anything, just some bits of info I got from A''caen, piecing together to make sense."


    "Imani," the assistant asked again, "shouldn''t we discuss this with A''caen?"


    A contemtive look appeared on Imani''s face as she considered. After a few seconds, she shook her head under the watchful gazes of five pairs of eyes.


    "Even if it turns out to be a fate mark, it won''t change anything," the dark-skinned woman said atst. "Remember, the cor blocks all uses of vital energy, and fate marks are highly involved with vital energy. It changes nothing."


    Herst phrase seemed to reverberate in my mind more than a couple of times. So it changes nothing, even if it turns out it was a fate mark. Wait, what was a fate mark again? I''m guessing it was something that gives magical power. I''m also guessing they would give me a better answer than that if I asked about it again, even if they know it.


    Does the doctor have a fate that marks them like the guards? I considered, scanning the elderly man in the corner of my sight. Well, his hands were fair, albeit wrinkled to the point of necrosis. I couldn''t detect much as most of his skin was hidden behind the thick clothes.

 Chapter 132 129 Dream (5)

    _Another week and a few days passed. And my fate hadn''t changed.


    I was still the poor sod I was a week before. Although my left palm got a lot better, still not to the point where I could put pressure on it. Then there were theshes that were added on every day of my ipetence. It hadn''t been any bit easier on me.


    Today I was supposed to get eightyshes on my back.


    I couldn''t sleep thest day when I got seventyshes. That pain was still fresh in my mind even though a day passed. Not to mention, the marks that were umting on my back.


    I had one freebie left and I would be using that tomorrow for all that matters. Hopefully, I would be able to meet the quota before I die on the punishment stand.


    Hopefully.


    But that wouldn''t change my fate, would it? I would still be ving away my life, knowing there was a broader world where magic was real. It wasn''t simply a sh??nen manga that I could free myself of this cursed fate out of sheer willpower and courage.


    Well, even if it were, I didn''t think I fit to be the protagonist. I brood too much and simply didn''t have the courage with this beat-down body of my own.


    ''No, no, I shouldn''t brood too much on these useless thoughts,'' I thought to myself. I couldn''t let them break my mind. I must preserve. I must keep on hoping. It''s hardly been three weeks. There were people who survived worse. Imani and Dele survived for six years, and they had nobody to help them as they were doing for me.


    I would preserve whatever the cost.


    I hadn''t managed to get much information about vital energy from the doctor or his assistant these past few days. Well, my involvement was mostly limited to the assistant. Her name was Sara. She was here for four years, and like me only able to survive with the help of others. Especially, Imani.


    Sara seemed to hold Imani in high regard for what she did for him. I didn''t know the specifics, but Imani probably saved her a dozen times.


    Anyway, Sara was the one who put me through those agonising massage therapies. I didn''t know how they would help when the problem was with the bone. Well, doctor stuff, but since it got better, I have no issue with that.


    As for the matter of the weird spiral mark on my palm? There was no change. And no, it hadn''t given me any superpower that would help me miraculously get off this envement.


    To be honest, I felt somewhat peculiar bearing this mark, not knowing what it would do to me. So far, it hadn''t been that fitting, leaving my left palm sore and un-rehabilitated all over.


    Well, it couldn''t be worse than very.


    Anyway, I went ving away mybour at the mine like usual. Let us cut to the end of the day since I would be boring you with my mindless, anxious thoughts.


    So eightyshes. . . I won''t be describing the pain to you again. Because you simply couldn''t imagine it if you hadn''t been at the end of thesh for once.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Just know that Cameron, with the help of a couple more guys, carried me to my room. Well, I was conscious for some time, but I asked Cameron to strangle me.


    No, not to kill me. I still had juice left in me to keep going, not to mention all that pep talk I gave myself before. I just wanted to pass out. At least the pain would be relieved for a few hours.


    Passing out did the trick, as I spent a few hours in dreand, hoping my misery would end soon.


    I didn''t know if the gods above heard my plea because that was the day hope finally kindled in life at my most desperate time.


    Hope was also in the shape of the most beautiful woman in my life.


    The twodies who were listening to Gale narrate his story sucked in a deep breath, exchanging nces. They were way past the point of disturbing Gale''s narration.


    Gale didn''t have to tell them that it all ended in a tragedy as the look on his face was evident enough.


    It was at some point at midnight, and my mind decided it was time to wake up as if I hadn''t beenpelled to the satisfactory amount of misery for the day. I was thrown into the fiery pit of hell the moment I woke up. My whole body spasmed as the pain overwhelmed my nerves.


    I cursed in low grunts, ming the world and myself.


    Stupid brain, couldn''t you just let me remain dreaming in peace for a few more hours? Iined to myself. Now how could I sleep bearing so much pain?


    If I knew I would meet her today, I wouldn''t beining like this. But I wasn''t an oracle, so Iid there for some time, until I felt ufortable in my stomach.


    Well, I was on resting on my front. Of course, it would be ufortable, but that wasn''t it. It seemed I needed to unload some crap out of my system. I really didn''t want to move out at this hour, not to mention with my aching body, but I stood up, as I didn''t want to dirty my room.


    Somehow, I managed to carry my body out of the room, leaning against the wall. I considered asking Cameron for help, but on second thought, I decided against it. The former ountant had trouble of his own to take care of, not to mention this was a bit. . . no, a lot embarrassing to ask someone to help me shit.


    Hopefully, I won''t die shitting alone. And even if I die, I would die with all the little pride I was left with.


    _______


    Another one remaining of the shback for this turn. Hopefully, I would be able to leave you all hanging on the cliff.

 Chapter 133 130 Dream (6)

    So I moved. The stone wall was the only help I could use at that moment. The distant light of the magicalmps on high up barely did anything to drive away the darkness as I crept in the way of the toilet.


    For all that mattered, I was more resentful than I ever was at that moment. Perhaps that pain was tricking my mind to be, and I was powerless to do anything about it. My receptors were full of the agony to feel anything else, though I was sure the atmosphere was hot and stuffy.


    "Halt!" Suddenly, a voice said behind me, but I was too engrossed in my pain and methodical walk to listen.


    "Hey, are you deaf?" the voice said again and this time I figured out someone was yelling in my back. The voice was loud, but I only learned it was the voice of a woman as she spoke for the third time. "You shouldn''t go that way at this time."


    I halted and turned my head. The dim light provided me with a faint outline of a silhouette moving towards me. It was too dark for me to make out anything other than that.


    "Where are you going?" the voice said again.


    I wanted to say "to the toilet", but all that came out was an impolite grunt. "To Shit!"


    Right, I wasn''t in the right state of my mind.


    "Do you have a problem with that?" I asked again, my voiceing out battered and ragged out of my throat.


    "I don''t," the woman said again as I found the silhouette drawing closer. "But you might get into trouble if you move on in that direction."


    "Why?" Finally, I was able to see the outline of her face. Oval face, eyes, mouth, and nose, all at the right ces. I was too tired to take notice of anything more, to be honest. The look in her eyes was solemn, which drew my attention the most.


    Three weeks into this hell, I learned to read bodynguage far better than what the neen years did for me.


    "There are a few people that way," she said hesitantly. "They are doing some stuff. They might not like it if someone just barged in."


    "What stuff? What people?" I asked, leaning against the wall.


    "You know the stuff," the woman said again as if she didn''t want to spill it out loud.


    I was dull in my mind to even think about what she was talking about. "Why wouldn''t they like it?" I heard myself say. "Thetrine for all ves. How can they monopolise that?"


    The woman gave me a weird look. I didn''t have the mindset to care about what look she was giving, but I think she was probably thinking if I was a dimwit or not.


    However, she was a kinder soul in that hell. She could have left me there to on my own as she did her part of the warning. Most people didn''t even bother, yet she talked so politely as if she was on a night stroll.


    "Gosh, you''ll get chewed on if you keep on going that way," she said, clutching my arm to move me. "Come on, right this way, there was anothertrine in this way."<novelnext></novelnext>


    I was momentarily lost in what to do and was a littlete to respond to her advances. The next moment, I fell on the ground, thankfully on the front, though I didn''t know if it could be felt any worse than that.


    I almost yelped out, swearing the names of all the ancestors of the vers. Or I really did, as she gave me another peculiar look.


    Then her eyes found countlesssh marks on my back as they widened like saucers. "Oh dear lord!" she drew closer and helped me up through my groan. Only then I noticed her palms were colder than usual people. The coldness was soothing to the natural fiery environment. "I''m sorry, I didn''t know. . ."


    I groaned, not hiding behind the false sense of bravado just because she was a girl.


    "Now you know," I said through a clenched jaw. "Just let me go."


    The girl blinked at me, but didn''t budge. "No," was all she said.


    "No?" I was a bit confused.


    "No," she said again. "Come on, let''s go. I can''t just leave you like this."


    Yes, you can. I wanted to say that, but she was already pulling me by herself. I was a bit startled by her strength, but then I waspletely overwhelmed, as for the first time, I discovered how beautiful she was.


    Of course, she was doing her best to appear like amon ve girl, but she had the right thing about her that couldn''t be hidden no matter how hard she tries. She had a perfectly symmetrical face, fair skin, and blue eyes that seemed to bear the weight of the world. I wasn''t too sure if her hair was blond or white in the dim light, but it had the smell of freedom and solitude in them.


    Wait, my receptors were all packed with the agony of theshing. How could I smell her? I was probably recalling it from some other memory with her.


    Saarya was about six feet tall, pale and scrawny. Anyway, I didn''t know her name at our first meeting, but at the end of it, she changed my life.


    "What are you looking at?" she asked, her tone sounding a bit disturbed as I was watching her like a fool.


    "You. . ." My voice trailed off. Then I recognised something very peculiar. I was too engrossed in my misery to notice at first. "Wait, you''re speaking English?"


    The woman turned her head to meet my eyes. "Am I?" she asked, a glint in her eyes.


    "But you look too beautiful and different to be of any ethnicity on earth," I said again, overlooking what she said.


    "Oh, thank you," she replied, evident sarcasm in her tone, "you sure are a charmer."

 Chapter 134 131 Dream (7)

    "Oh, thank you. You sure are a charmer."


    I wasn''t sure if I got the sarcasm in her tone as I was too focused on her face, not whatever she spouted.


    "Thank you too," I said, staring nkly at her, "my mum raised me well."


    The woman gave me a careful stare and clicked her tongue. Then she helped me to move to the other toilet, which was about a five-minute walk away. Also, by help, I meant she almost carried me, and it seemed to take no effort from her end.


    With her touch being so gentle and soothing, I almost felt like I should let her do whatever she was nning with me.


    Again, I didn''t know if I was pulling from my other memories of her, as I wasn''t so easily trusting a person in the first meeting. The memories of those days weren''t vivid in my mind. Honestly, my mind wasn''t in the state to make vivid memories in that hell.


    We moved for a couple of minutes in silence which seemed to erge the moment. I held too much curiosity about her to keep silence.


    "Hmm," I spouted whatever came to my head. "Are your pronouns Goddess?"


    That brought a chuckle to her lips as she blinked at me. "Can you hope for a goddess to help someone to shit?"


    I tilted my head, considering. "Maybe," I said, "if she is extra kind and the other party is a charmer."


    She snorted. "You won''t survive long if you are this na?¡¥ve in thisnd," she said, her voice dry. "Think about every possible scheme that anyone could carry out. How it benefits them, how it affects you? The world isn''t a wish-granting factory. There''s always a scheme behind every little kindness you''ll find in your path, so think carefully before you proceed."


    I was about to reply to her words, but then I remembered. A frown crept into my brows. "Wait, that''s from John Green," I said, "you''re really from earth?"


    The woman, who clearly had the aura of a literal goddess in sight, sighed. She didn''t acknowledge or deny my words, though. "Consider the intent behind my words, not where it was taken from."


    "Hmm," I hummed, "if you say so, miss goddess."


    "Gosh, that''s embarrassing." She flickered her finger on my forehead, probably not with her best effort, but it still hurt a lot. Even though my receptors werepletely agitated with the pain from theshes, I still could distinguish the little pain she inflicted.


    Well, I wasn''t in a fair state of mind to consider the implication behind all that.


    "Stop calling me a goddess," she told me agitatedly, pointing at the cor on her neck. "You can see what this is clearly."


    I stared at her solemn look and could only nod.


    "I guess you haven''t seen much of this world for you to be mistaken like this," she said with a sigh. "Qi, vital energy, Mana, Spirit, whatever you call it, has this effect on beings. People change for better or worse as they cultivate the primal energy of the universe. I changed too, for better and worse."


    "Well, I''mpletely sure you changed for the better," I couldn''t help but say. Then the implication of her words woke me up. I stopped on the track, overwhelming her to stop as well. "You. . . you mean. . . you have the vital energy?"


    "Sure," she said easily. "Everyone has it. Most in minuscule low quantities to take notice in their lifetime."


    "But you''re a ve," I said again.


    "You are one too, but were you a ve a month ago?"


    Meaning she wasn''t always a ve like most people, but unlike most people, she cultivated vital energy. That exined how she was so strong, even though she looked pale and sickly.


    Wait, didn''t the ve cor restrict the transfer of vital energy?


    "Your concern is valid," the woman answered, finding his dilemma through my face. "However, a ve cor can''t restrain everything about a practitioner. As practitioners cultivate more energy, their body changes, and their bone structure goes through qualitative changes, making it more perfect. Other than leaving me prettier, it made me stronger, too."


    "And the cor only restricts the flow of energy, not the physical force?" I put the two and two together, though wasn''tpletely sure.


    "You are mostly right," she said, indicating something, but I knew too little to make out anything. "Anyway, didn''t you have to unload? We are almost there."


    Through the dim light, I could make out the way to the filthytrine. Obviously, the pressure I was under was great, but I didn''t just want to leave herpany when she started to talk about vital energy so freely. She would probably leave, leaving to shit on his own.


    And she was about to do exactly that.


    "Wait," I heard myself say.


    Saarya turned her head to look at me. Her face was soft and kind. "Yes?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What are the requirements to cultivate vital energy?"


    Saarya wrinkled her nose, considering whether to answer or not. "There are exceptions, but mostly a healthy body and mind."


    "Don''t I have both of them?" I asked, sounding hopeful.


    "Others could argue, but yes, you do have both of them," Saarya answered, and then pointed to the cor on my neck. "But you have to do something about that."


    I bit my lips, remembering what Imani said about the cors. "Is there. . ." I asked, even though I knew inside all this was impossible. "Is there no other way around it?"


    Her expression told it all. "I''m sorry, bard."


    I didn''t know if I had cried back then or not. I watched her leave, unmovingly on the spot she left me. I remained watching the darkness even after her silhouette was there no more.


    "I must preserve," I said to myself. "I must remain strong."


    After refreshing myself, I got back to my quarter. It took me some time to navigate in the dim light and through the pain, but I managed fine.


    There were still a few hours left for the morning horn to wake me up. However, I couldn''t hope for a peaceful sleep. Not when my back was burning in that familiar agony.


    Iid on the stone bed on my front, humming some lonely tune in my mind.


    For all that mattered, I wasn''t sure if I had left the door locked. Obviously, there was nothing to steal from the room, but there were worse things that could happen. Honestly, I had no power left to lock the door.


    "I''ll do itter," I told myself. "Just need to be at peace for a moment."


    But thatter didn''te at all.


    Not until someone came into my room. It hardly woke me up as the stranger was stealthy and silent like a house cat. For all that mattered, I wasn''t even sure if I was dreaming or hallucinating.


    Thankfully, the trespasser didn''t seem to have any ill intent as they only came to sit near me and ruffled my hair, muttering some words, which should have been too hard for me to recognise or even remember.


    "There''s always a way, Gale," she said in a soft tone, caressing my hair. "Remember that."


    For some time there was silence, and then she stroked my bloody back. It didn''t hurt, though. She smiled at my oblivious, star-struck expression.


    "I''m sorry," she said again, stroking my back gently. "Honesty, you are hardly worth the cost, but at least I can soothe your pain and heal your wound."


    Then she drew the light. Faint golden light blossomed on her palm as she stroked my back. I felt spring blossom in my mind as warmth filled my back. Every part of me wanted to lose in this bliss.


    However, I yelped out, struggling. "The palm, please."


    I barely twitched from my spot, gesturing towards my left palm, but that was enough for her to understand what I meant.


    She drew her palm and touched my left palm, our fingers entangling together as the light of healing transferred from her palm to mine.


    Then her lips twitched as she drew back her palm abruptly. Now that I think about it, that probably had something to do with that spiral mark on my palm. But I was too weak and out of my mind to think about anything.


    Saarya said nothing for some time, only inspected my palm quietly. Her eyes seemed to traverse through the ragged clothes and flesh to see what was wrong with it.


    She drew light to my palm yet again as she healed what shouldn''t be possible with the ve cor on her neck.


    "Perhaps, I judged too early," she remarked silently. She clearly wasn''t talking to me. "Perhaps there''s still hope for you. But the cost is too much. . ."


    Her eyes drifted to my face as I wasid on my cheek. She stroked my cheek gently, as if to wake me.


    "This is a dream, Gale," she told me, rubbing my cheek, and cleaning away the drool from my lips. "Nothing of this is real. Nobody came to your quarter at night and healed you.


    "Never hope for an angel to arrive at your doorstep to help you out of your misery. Never put your hopes on others and only then can you be free of this misery. Only then can you be freed. I promise you that, Gale.


    "All this will remain like a fainting delusion in your mind, but remember, Gale. Remember to meditate, remember to find peace of mind in this insanity. Only then will you be free. Only then will you ever meet me."

 Chapter 135 132 How To Pick Up Gals (1)

    Gale didn''t like how Xiaolin was hiding from him. Even though there were only three of them now, she kept on looking away whenever their eyes met, as if she had done something wrong.


    Well, as a matter of fact, she did something wrong. She eavesdropped on others'' conversations.


    Gale realised all this because of what she heard eavesdropping on his conversation with Wang Li. She couldn''t even meet his eyes without getting embarrassed now. So from the sunrise, she acted like a thief, hiding away from him. Even during their morning session of cycling, she remained silent and queasy.


    Worst of all was that whatever Gale said would only escte the situation, more out of hand. Not that he was good at giving advice.


    Gosh, if it were simply dating, there wouldn''t be any problem.


    On top of that, he had to deal with annoying arrogant practitionerster today. Who told him to steal the fate lock from others?


    Well, the opportunity arrived so easily. How could he not take it?


    The sword from Han Shitian wasid inside the dark space of his left hand. Only a thin connection remained between the owner and the fate lock. If he could somehow enter the space, Gale could cut off the connectionpletely using some of his scripting with no risks.


    Unfortunately, he was only able to put his Qi and aura senses inside the void lock. No way of doing what is required to cut off the connection.


    Anyway, why would he want to cut off the connection you ask? The answer was simple: to teach that hypocrite father a lesson so that he would teach his son better. Not to mention a unique grade battle-oriented fate look could easily cost a million gold marks.


    That is arge sum for everyone unless you are from one of the six Sovereign lineages.


    "This is all your fault," Gale muttered, ming the woman in his right.


    Wang Li turned her head to him with a challenging look in her eyes. She could easily tell he was annoyed by how things escted.


    "Did I ask you to go full ballistic in the Han Family courtyards?"


    "I''m not talking about that," Gale said. "Do you think I care about a few fools grouping together to outcast someone?"


    "You should," Wang Li said, picking up her brows, "considering they were going to outcast you. I don''t know much about the Mayor, but he''s someone who''s very protective of his family. You are really going to lose out on something big if you are being this irresponsible."


    "Who said I''m irresponsible?" Gale snorted. "I''m talking about something much more important than that stupid negotiation/peace talk."


    "What''s more important than that?" Wang Li asked, interested.


    Gale gestured with his eyes towards his disciple, who was checking out clothes in the shop. Since the festival wasing on in a couple of weeks, they needed to buy new clothes, so they decided toplete the task when Gale was here with them.


    "Hmm," the innkeeper hummed, considering. "I think you should talk to her openly about this."


    Gale threw her a re. "You''re at fault, so you should be the one to talk."


    "Oh, what happened to the one who was super confident about getting girls?"


    "Those two arepletely different," Gale snorted.


    Wang Li smiled. "I agree that some part of this is my fault, and this can really be a problem. She became too shy in front of you," she said, drawing her sight towards Xiaolin. "I''ll talk to Linlin about it."


    "Thank you." Gale felt the weight of his chest as he heard her. This wasn''t really the time toplicate their rtionship, so when Wang Li provided a way to solve this, he was simply too easy to ept.


    "Okay, I''ll go help Linlin buy clothes. That girl has a very mundane taste in clothes." Wang Li was about to join Linlin in choosing clothes for the younger girl, but she halted midway and turned. "Do you have a colour and type of clothes of preference, Master Gale?"


    "You''re choosing?" Gale lifted an eyebrow.


    "We are, together."


    Gale hummed. "I''m fine with anything that''s easy to wear and makes me look fashionable with little effort," he said. "As for colour, I''m fine with anything not too deep or shy."


    "I guess that already," saying that the innkeeper joined his disciple in picking the clothes.


    Apparently, this wasn''t a ready-made garment shop, but a shop where you buy simple clothes and hire a tailor to make a fitting suit, robe, or dress for yourself. In this case, the tailor was Wang Li. She was highly skilled in that, though she only made half a dozen robes a year, only for her loved ones.


    Making dresses for Rong''er and Linlin, who was like a little sister to her, was a given.


    However, after everything Gale did for them, she couldn''t leave him alone. Regardless, the foreigner was long away from home. Well, considering what he mentioned in his tale, the foreigner was worlds apart from his family, so there was nobody to give him gifts at the festivals.


    Even though Wang Li said they would be choosing together, she did all the choosing. Well, she asked for affirmation from then. She picked two pieces of matching white clothes for them.


    When Gale was ready to pay, she acted like she hadn''t heard him and paid the shopkeeper with her own money.


    "Do you know the definition of Gift, Master Gale?" Wang Li asked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Stop calling me that." Gale clicked his tongue. "And if it''s about a gift, you have taken nothing for yourself."


    "I had enough of them this year to need more," Wang Li said simply.


    "Hmm, it seems you don''t know some stuff about gifts either," Gale said.


    That brought a frown to Wang Li''s brows. "Which is?"


    "The more gifts you get, the happier you be." Gale moved into the shop for the first time. "Linlin, go pick something good for your elder sister."


    Xiaolin nodded and carried on with hismand silently.


    "Now we can''t ask you to work for your gift," Gale considered. "So we will go to a tailor of your preference after this."


    "There''s no need, really," Wang Li said.


    Gale ignored her like she did when paid the shopkeeper and helped his disciple pick. Eventually, Gale was satisfied with ck silk with flower designs embodied in it. Gale paid a few silver marks for the superior silk as they moved on to the tailor shop next.


    "Do you know in our tradition it is frowned upon when someone other than your spouse or rtive buys clothes for you?" Wang Li said after a while with a nk face.


    "Good thing I''m not one of your traditional folks, no?" Gale said. They walked for a couple of minutes when Gale opened his lips again. "If you''re ufortable with this, you can repay me in a way."


    Finding the innkeeper interested, Gale continued. "I mentioned before that I was looking for a maid. You already know about my requirements, so all I want you to do is look for a maid that meets most of the requirements."


    Wang Li considered and stared at Linlin who was biting her lips, hearing about the maid topicing up again.


    "I''ll try," she said eventually, "no promise, though. As I mentioned before, you''ll have better luck finding a bride than a maid with such requirements."


    "You''re wrong about that," Gale said. "If it were so easy, I already would have a dozen wives waiting for me at home. Maybe I''m the problem."


    "How about that one, then?" Wang Li whispered into Gale''s ears, her eyes pointing towards a girl who was talking with the tailor.


    Gale picked up his brows as he weighed the prospect Wang Li was pointing at.


    "Are you asking for a bride or a maid?" Gale asked instead. "If she meets the requirements, I''m fine with any of them."


    The reason was simply because Gale was liking what he was seeing. Although she hardly looked a year or two older than Linlin, she had a sultry vibe about her. The girl was fair-skinned, as most people of Tianhui were. With milky skin, toned cheeks and a sharp nose, she looked like a great prospect to look at.


    The Iron body metamorphosis did her good, as the bountiful bosom sticking out on her dress, or the thick hip line outlined through her robe asked for all men''s attention.


    "Remember, I told you how I can pick a girl easily?" Gale said, turning towards Wang Li. "Want to see it in action?"


    His disciple clearly looked ufortable about this. She clearly wanted to say something, but was looking at Wang Li to say for herself. Well, Gale decided this was exactly what he needed to do in front of her for her to grow out of him.


    As for the older woman, she had a frown on her brows, contemting what result woulde of it.


    "Well, if you were so confident about it, why are you still standing here? Go on, or she would run away."


    ______


    Author Note:


    The first volume will have ended in a few more chapters. However, I decided to do something more with this. Which means I''ll be pulling stuff that I nned for the second volume.


    That put me in a position to continue with the rtionship development between one of the gals. Which rtionship would you like to see the most?


    Gale x Xiaolin


    Gale x Wang Li


    Gale x Sumei


    Gale x Twilight


    Gale x Someone unexpected?


    Let me know in thements. I''ll proceed with the one that has the most votes.


    Also, raise your hand if you want Wang Li as the maid.

 Chapter 136 133 How To Pick Up Gals (2)

    Contrary to the excitement Gale showed, he didn''t act excitedly, instead, he acted more reserved, adopting a contemtive look.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t understand your act," Wang Li asked, evident confusion in her tone. "Didn''t you want to show something in action?"


    "Shh," Gale hissed. "Let mee with the vibe first. Obviously, girls hardly get excited by a "fuckboi" acting like a monkey. From what I can from her, she seemed like a reserved and polite girl, who spent most of her life in a sheltered environment. I have to act ordingly."


    "What''s a fuckboi?" His disciple asked in the middle, breaking the vibe Gale was building. To his delight, there was no term to describe a fuckboi in a single word in themon tongue.


    "It''s better if you don''t know about it," Gale said instantly. "But remember to stay away from anyone resembling a fuckboi. Your master forbids it."


    "Master, I didn''t know it is," Xiaolin said, confused. "How do I stay away from them?"


    "Hmm, your concern is valid," Gale thought out loud. "Let me give an example for you to understand. The closest thing to a fuckboi you ever came across should be Han Xiao."


    Xiaolin''s eyes widened as she nodded heavily. Meanwhile, the older woman coughed, which caught Gale''s attention. "So, shouldn''t you start your act? She''ll leave at this rate."


    "As I mentioned, don''t kill my vibe. Let me get into it first," Gale said as she drew in a deep breath. He refreshed his aura and adopted a calmer and more confident persona.


    His disciple sniffed, discovering the change in his aura. "How do you do that?" Xiaolin couldn''t help but ask. Wang Li hadn''t noticed anything with her senses yet.


    "There''s still too much for you to learn, love," Gale said with augh. This was hardly anything, far from the chick-ma aura that he tried to cultivate in his early years. "Do you know what gets girls turn up? Preferably a face like Sun Ziang, but I''ll make it do with my profoundly mysterious aura."


    Both women threw an incredulous look in his direction, equally unbelieving.


    "What? You don''t like secrets? Or mysteries?" Gale snorted. "Gals dig what they don''t understand. Come on, let''s finish our business, I have all the time to pick up girls."


    There were two tailors in the shop, one older and the younger one seemed to be his son as he held too much resemnce to the balding Oldman. The youth weed us all, he was acting nervous since the first beautiful girl arrived at the shop, but now with three, he was barely keeping his stuff inside.


    "Wee, Big Sister Li," the youth stuttered when he greeted Xiaolin, "Xiaolin. You too, Senior Gale."


    Gale turned his head to give Wang Li a quizzical look. Well, although the valley was huge, the town wasn''t thatrge. So he shouldn''t be surprised if they knew each other.


    The Innkeeper smiled politely at the youth. "How have you been, Xiao Yun?"


    "I''m well, big sister, just too much work during the festival time," the youth said.


    "Well, guess what?" Wang Li said, lifting off the bag holding the clothes Gale bought for her. "We brought more work for you."


    Xiao Yun lifted his eyebrows, but nodded regardless. Wang Li gave him the clothes to check as the youth brought it out.


    "This is good. Is this for you or Xiaolin?"


    "This is for the madam," Gale said in her ce. He was about to say more, the other pretty girl in the shop was getting impatient with how they were wasting her time.


    "Brother," the girl said politely, "please finish with my request first."


    "Ahh, yes miss," Xiao Yun said. "Pleasee to this corner. You can leave after I measure your sizes."


    Gale turned his head to give the girl another look. Now that he looked carefully, he noticed the reason behind her queasier expression. Even though she kept her expression t and polite, her ufortable vibe didn''t miss Gale''s seasoned senses.


    "Friendly advice miss, breaking through quickly is good, congrattions to you for that," Gale said in a serious tone. "However, you shouldn''t leave other things to only focus on cycling. Take note of yourself, you look like you''ll be in the middle of a breakthrough any moment. That would really be problematic if you weren''t prepared for it."


    Everyone stopped at what they were doing, including the balding woman, who barely gave any stare to the three beautiful women to stare at Gale.


    The girl in question blinked in confusion and then a frown perked up her brows. She hardly noticed any powerful vibe from the odd looking foreigner there, which confused her at first. Then she thought this was someone who was higher rank than her, so it wasn''t that hard for him to hide his aura from her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Your aura control is really terrible," Gale said again, catching her inspection easily. "Even worse than my disciple, well then again, Linlin had hardly any Qi to contest with you."


    The look on the ufortable woman''s face provided enough evidence for him to believe she didn''t know Linlin and Wang Li. Well, from how she looked and how high her cultivation was in such an early age, she shouldn''t be from this town, but came to visit during the festival.


    "Excuse me. . . Senior," the woman chose her word carefully, "but how do you know about my breakthrough?"


    "Please, I''m not a senior," Gale said. "I''m just an aimless practitioner wandering around, trusting the twisted words of an oracle."


    With the healthy amount of ciphered mystery, Gale changed to topic of the question. "Anyway, to answer your question, miss, your aura is screaming it in my sight, telling me how close you''re to a breakthrough."


    The woman''s eyes widened as she gasped, unsure what to say or do. While Wang Li lifted an eyebrow, she first thought Gale was bullshitting his way through, but it seemed there was much credibility to the master''s words. Well, it looked like it had some value from her point of view.


    As for his disciple, that waspletely another story. She was looking at the stranger girl longingly, hearing she was closer to breaking through to silver. The girl was barely a year or two older than her, yet so far away from her.


    "Let me tell you what more I can find out from your poor aura," Gale said with a thoughtful look. "You clearly aren''t from this town and certainly in closed door cultivation for a longer period of time. Hmm, for some reason you broke out before you could advance to Silver, is that it? That''s probably why you''re so anxious. Is the festival really that huge to cut away such an important step in spirit arts like that?"


    The woman bit her lips and looked down, which provided Gale with enough evidence to believe his conjecture was right. Well, most of it was guessing work with the little signs his aura sense provided. After all, it would need an Esper or oracle to learn all this just by looks.


    "I know it''s a stupid reason," the girl said atst, "but my family was adamant about meing back."


    "Well, perhaps it is for the best," Gale advised. "Perhaps you can take a breather from spirit arts and visit the countryside to relieve your stress. Who knows, you might have a new look at your life and prospect of spirit arts."


    The girl nodded and bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you senior for your kind words of advice," she said politely. "I''ll remember to work on my aura control."


    She then proceeded on toplete her task at the shop. The youth came up with the measuring tape and told her to move out of the public gaze.


    "We should finish with the measurement as well," Wang Li said. "Rong''er should have woken up from her sleep by now."


    They proceeded inside the interior of the shop as well, only to find the other girl with an ufortable expression on her face. Well, she was ufortable to begin with, however, now for a different reason.


    "Do you need help with the measurement?" Wang Li asked,ing to help.


    The girl nodded, much to Xiao Yun''s misfortune or delight. He was probably torn between the two, considering he was really nervous about measuring up to such a jade beauty and was about to lose the chance.


    "Alright, Little Yun, you go talk with Linlin, you two haven''t met in months after you stoppeding to Grandma''s lesson." Wang Li took the measuring tape from the youth and proceeded to do the work.


    Gale moved out and checked on the clothes to hang on the walls of the shop, leaving the two women to do their thing.


    Wang Li didn''t take much time finishing the measurements. "See you around in the festival, Qing''e. Also, early congrattions on your breakthrough."


    The girl named Qing''e perked up a brow, finding Wang Li knew her name. Then she bowed her in recognition and then did the same for Gale. She helped herself on the way out.


    "You know her?" Gale asked Wang Li. Qing''e hadn''t left yet, but this wasn''t any question to make him hesitate.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll see her around," she said mysteriously. A delighted expression came to her face. "You''re right, girls really do like knowing secrets that others don''t."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Nothing." Wang Li was still with the measuring tape. She found Xiao Yun talking with Linlin, while the old tailor busy on his work. That only left Gale for her. "Will you help me with the measurement? Well, that reminds me, I don''t know your size,e up, we''ll finish this here."


    ___________


    Only got about 5ments on the options I provided yesterday. Comment and let me know which gal will you like to end up with the MC first.

 Chapter 137 134 How To Pick Up Gals (3)

    "Lower yourself a little more," Wang Limanded as Gale stooped in a very ufortable position, meeting her stature.


    His height wasn''t making it easier for her to collect measurements, especially when she had to measure his neck, shoulders, and chest.


    Eventually, he sat on a chair for her to finish with the measurement of the upper body.


    The youngdy whom Wang Li introduced as Qing''e hadn''t left. She was talking with his disciple and Xiao Yun in the shop''s front. The young maiden''s whole concern seemed to be circling the hidden master she came across just a moment ago. Since she found Xiaolin to be his disciple, she felt there was no harm in knowing more about Gale from her.


    She was referring to the topic very implicitly and deliberately, however, it didn''t go unnoticed from Gale or Wang Li''s eyes. However, being the soft-spoken and quiet girl she was, Linlin hardly found anything amiss in their conversation.


    All of that indicated Gale had seeded in ying the mysterious persona, not that it took that much work.


    "Looks like you have seeded in drawing her attention," Wang Li said, measuring his waist. The mysterious glint reappeared in her eyes as she said that, making Gale consider what he was missing there. "All those words you threw at her about aura reading, are you really that impressive, or was she an open book?"


    Gale adopted a hurtful expression. "I thought you understood me well. How can you not see I''m very impressive?"


    Wang Li snorted.


    "Well, most of it was guesswork, though her aura really was an open book to a seasoned master like myself," Gale continued. "I''m afraid she barely had the basic introduction to aura control. Then again, it''s stressful to train aura control, plus in your tradition, it is frowned upon the practice of concealing true emotions. Especially for women who probably needed it the most, considering poor aura control could leave a woman more vulnerable than a man."


    Wang Li listened to it all silently as she continued with the measurement. "What about Linlin? She didn''t have any training in it either," she asked, eventually. "Can you read her emotion that easily?"


    "If I put my mind to it, yes," Gale said. "With her rank still being under copper, she wasn''t like a beacon of emotion like that elegant girl. The higher the rank, the more vulnerable one''s aura control bes. Considering how Qi amplifies everything about a practitioner, it isn''t too hard for you to understand. Xiaolin is like a candle me to her bonfire."


    Wang Li finished with the measurement. She had a thoughtful look on her face. Most of the topics of spirit arts was new to her, especially the conjecture the Master Artisan provided her every now and then.


    "Wait," she frowned. "Doesn''t that mean my aura is too easy to read as well?"


    Wang Li was a Copper ranker for years, presumably in the upper middle of the rank, the vibe she transmitted through her aura should have been magnified morepared with someone like Xiaolin, considering she was never taught even the basics of aura control.


    However, that wasn''t the case.


    "Actually, you have better control of your aura than most people in this town," Gale said, catching her off guard.


    "Are you joking?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Save for your Grandma, of course," Gale added.


    "Thank you, but I can guess that already." Wang Li poked him with the measuring tape.


    Gale shook his head. "Of course, I could tell you had never been taught the proper way of aura control, as your actual intention leaked out asionally. It was still better than most people."


    "How?" Wang Li asked, her expression incredulous. "I have never been taught anything rted to aura control, nor did I put much effort into learning anything rted to spirit arts after I advanced to copper all those years ago."


    "That''s why you do it instinctively," Gale said. "Do you know what the fastest and most brutal training for aura control is? Putting yourself under a lot of emotional stress when you''re young. Because most children adapt to change really quickly for better or worse, and in case they cannot. . . Well, let''s not talk about it now."


    Wang Li''s lips remained hung open as she heard the gold ranker. What Gale was telling her was pretty easy to understand. All the unfairness and inequity she suffered when she was young¡ªall that provided her with an adequate environment to train aura control. Not that it did any good.


    Since it was a very sensitive topic, Gale decided not to carry on with it.


    "Should we finish with the measurement?" Gale asked.


    Wang Li nodded as she handed him the tape. She was probably still thinking about that topic. Atst, she sighed. "Do you have a sibling, Master Gale?"


    "I had three, probably more now. What about it, Madam Li?" Gale said, addressing the formal tone as her.


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes and sighed. She knew the more she acted formally with him, he would act the same, talking to her more respectfully than she deserved.


    "Fine, Gale," she said, letting out a breath. "Did you ever feel unfairness when you were young?"


    "Yes, but not really at my siblings," Gale said. "They were either self-dependent adults or too little for me to feel much about them. Then again, most of the time, we never lived together. We barely meet once or twice during the holidays. I fear there''s too much difference between our upbringings topare them."


    "I wasn''tparing," Wang Li said. "I just want to be sure if you can understand me. . . Anyway, let''s finish with the measurement."


    Gale nodded. He was sure Wang Li didn''t notice her aura piqued for some moment, and then all her emotional entanglement went to hiding as she changed the topic.


    Wang Li stood, drawing her arms wide for him to measure. Gale proceeded with the hand first. He measured three times once for her shoulder to underarms, then above elbow and forearm, considering Wang Li preferred a full-sleeved dress.


    The real problem began after that.

 Chapter 138 135 How To Pick Up Gals (4)

    The real problem began when he was done with her hand and neck, as what was left here to measure her chest, waist, and leg. Gale didn''t know how to measure any of that without being a bit prying. Well, since Wang Li had a t look on her face as if she didn''t really care, Gale adopted a simr look.


    ''Fuck, I''ve already seen her naked. No need to act reserved.''


    He measured her chest, standing behind her, drawing the measuring tape under her arms.


    "A bit higher, and don''t pull too much. I would need to breathe in the dress," Wang Li advised, as Gale followed.


    His finger touched her back as Gale counted the measurement. The tape wiggled on the alluring protrusion of her bosom, but she remained calm, as this was nothing of the ordinary during measurement. Well, definitely not for Gale. The split image of all her curves¡ªhis eyesid upon before¡ªrefreshed in his mind as he measured her.


    Next, he moved to her side and measured from her underarm to her legs. Gale had to focus on not remembering the scene of her wet body barely covered by some wet towels. Not to mention that night when. . .


    "Do you ever wonder why Linlin fell for you?" Wang Li''s question brought him back to reality. Gale waspletely focused, emptying his mind of the distracting thoughts. "And no, please don''t give me any sarcastic answer."


    The words almost left Gale''s lips. He really was ready to give a sarcastic answer that would defuse the situation. He sighed. "Probably because nobody, I mean nobody that could be attractive to her, had been kind to her."


    Wang Li snorted. "Do you really believe that?" she asked. "True, nobody has been as audacious as you in their kindness, but do you really think nobody would ever try to do something good for her? Just look at her and say, who wouldn''t in the world fancy a girl as pretty as her?"


    Gale groaned internally as the topic returned to what he didn''t want to talk about.


    "You talk about girls liking mysteries in a man," Wang Li continued. "Tell me, since you came to Wayshire, did you ever stop ying the mysterious practitioner?"


    Gale choked, hearing her out. True, he kept a mysterious persona, but that wasn''t just here. It was just a force of habit that he adopted since he arrived in this realm. Things hadn''t turned out for the best after he escaped very.


    He had to fight in thewlessnd for years. Any weakness you showed there could sentence you to death. Keeping your cards hidden and always in the act had been drilled to his bone so much that he simply couldn''t help it, even to this day.


    Gale thought it had gotten easier since he started to live in Stormhold, but the conflict with that stupid young master threw him into that persona yet again.


    "I don''t know what you want me to say here," Gale said, letting out a breath. "Yes, I do like impressing girls, and most of the time, I do it unintentionally. I think it''s a normal thing for men to act like this."


    Wang Li gave her a thorough nce as Gale proceeded to measure her waist.


    "Gale, will you answer a question to me truthfully?"


    Gale narrowed his eyes and proceeded to take it safely. "I''ll try," he said.


    "Why are you against getting into a rtionship?" she asked. "I understand that you suffered too much summoned to this world and took a lot of time to adapt. I don''t know why, but you give the vibe of someone who was deliberately running away from a rtionship."


    Gale thought seriously about what to answer, and for some reason, he decided to let out some truth.


    "I have been in a serious rtionship two times aftering to this world," he said, "and neither of them ended up well for them."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes with an expression telling him to continue if it was not too sensitive.


    "I couldn''t protect. .  ." Gale sighed big. "From that point on, I didn''t look for a serious type of rtionship. And Xiaolin deserved better than a fling. I know you want well for Xiaolin, but I honestly don''t think I''m a good match for her."


    That brought a silence between them as Gale solemnly continued measuring.


    "Just an advice," Wang Li said after a while. "I don''t think Linlin would understand even if you exin everything thoroughly. I have seen her eyes, how she looks at you. I think she''ll love you madly if you just give her a chance."


    ***


    Gale returned from the market with a heavy heart, hardly exchanging anything with the two women. his disciple was remarkably contemtive on the way back.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale decided not to pamper her now and proceeded to search out Twilight. Actually, the ghostly figure presented herself before him before he could even start with his Qi senses.


    Twilight looked cool and menacing as ever in her dark, gothic cloak as they stood near the balcony of his quarters.


    "I''m guessing you have something to say." Gale yed the role of conversation maker.


    "Themission ends today," she said.


    Gale nodded. "Can we prolong it for another week?"


    Twilight shook her head.


    Gale raised his eyebrows. "You got a better job at hand?"


    Twilight did not provide any reply or gesture, to her credit.


    Gale sighed. "I guess you''re leaving for where you''re from," he said.


    Nod.


    "Your deal with Sun Ziang didn''t work out?"


    A shake of the head.


    "It did? Hmm, he''s still preparing?"


    Nod.


    "So you''ll being back?"


    Nod.


    "Will you take amission like this from me then, if you have the opportunity?"


    Nod.


    Gale was making it good with this conversation. He probably made more progress with it than he did with his father for years.


    "Anyway, will you take aplicated task for me?" Gale asked. Before she could reject, Gale continued, "No, you don''t have to provide any quick progress in this. As a matter of fact, you can and will need to leave it for someone else as this isn''t your forte. I''ll pay in advance, so you don''t need to worry."


    She''s simply too indispensable in what she does for him to swindle money from her. As far as Gale was concerned, nobody below gemheart should be aware of her presence unless Twilight let out something.


    If he had his way, he wanted to employ her for life. However, even if he had the wealth for it, he couldn''t better keep her to himself. He really wasn''t the type. So it was better to keep a connection and a good rtionship with her.


    After a few seconds of deliberation, Twilight nodded.


    Gale sighed in relief inwardly. Of course, the job wasn''t hard, but time-consuming. Gale could have done it himself. He would have to travel around ces for months before he could get anything out of it. Not to mention, he couldn''t just leave Stormhold and his disciple for that much time.


    A big weight lift out of his chest when Twilight agreed to it.

 Chapter 139 136 Challenge Of A Duel (1)

    The room was mostly full when Gale arrived at the mayor''s office. Well, he wasted time deliberately, even though the other two of hispanions were prepared in time. Other than ying for the little power y, Gale didn''t really like wasting time with annoying stuff.


    He knew exactly what game would be yed, and he knew he would be on the back foot, providing the fact that the Han Family had the mayor in their bag. Well, Gale was prepared for everything, if they push really came to shove, he could only oblige them on the same y.


    For today''s business, Gale was with Xiaolin, his disciple who was somewhat in the position of being the main catalyst of the current situation. Her attendance was obligatory as pointed out by the enforcers. As for the other person, Gale took the safe route, taking Grandma Wang with him, who could also be called Xiaolin''s guardian.


    Gale found a couple of familiar figures in the room, among them Sun Ziang and Old captain Ziran of the enforcer stood out, peacefully keeping their attendance.


    He got a few stinky eyes as well, mostly from the dozen people brought by the Han Family, among them stood out the family head Han Shitian, his ck sheep Han Xiao, a woman who had resemnce to the young master indicating to be the mother of Han Xiao.


    On the back were a few practitioners whom Gale might have beaten up once or twice. The Shadow assassin Hao was ring at Gale upfront, well, considering how Gale humiliated and wounded him, his anger was justified.


    Gale gave the Han family a courteous smile as he helped the two women sit down. He took a seat beside them, thoroughly scanning the surroundings with his aura and Qi sense. Aura Sense for hostile presence, while Qi sense to provide an overview of the surroundings.


    A servant came to serve tea shortly after as the res from the Han family never stopped.


    After a while with the absence of the mayor, Han Shitian decided he should take control of the situation and break a negotiation before they could begin.


    "After you left my estate, I decided I should do some homework in learning who I''m up against," Han Shitian said, his voice confident and stern. "I didn''t find much, but I know that you''re here to retire, which made me think, why are you creating a problem for yourself? Do you think of the Han n as a third-rate martial family in the middle of nowhere? Let me remind you what we are and where we stand."


    "Mah," Gale scoffed. "Bloke, you aren''t the only one who did the homework. I know exactly who you are and where you stand."


    "And you''re not afraid?" Han Shitian questioned. His ck sheep son looked quite smug between the confrontations.


    "Why would I?" Galeughed. "You are standing right in front of me, not your family. I''m facing you, not your family. And even if I were, I can pull enough weight to y dodgeball with your ancestors. Anyway, the interesting part, do you know what I found after I did a little background check on you blokes?


    "Who would have thought, turns out the apple didn''t fall far from the tree. Your son is the exact copy of yours--an arrogant prick who uses others for his amusement and benefit. Thank the forgotten gods that he didn''t have your potential, else he would have left you behind to be the top monumental prick of the Han n."


    Han Shitian''s eyes narrowed as he let out some pressure. Most of the people in the room tensed, save for a significant few, including the noble scion Sun Ziang, Old captain Ziran and Grandma Yushen.


    "Don''t act impudence in front of me just because I decided to give you some face, Mongrel," Han Shitian said.


    "Yup, there it is," Gale sneered. "I guess it is still a sore topic, huh? How the Great and Mighty Han Shitian--who didn''t even know how to grip a sword--banished to the little town. I feel sick looking at your arrogant face, I wish I had done worse things to you rather than just disabling you of your weapon.


    "The elders in your n, they think they gave you a brutal punishment for what you did, but how tragically mistaken those old men were. Do they really think arrogant pricks like you will ever learn and stop using people for your benefit? Do they even consider you and your family would continue to harm no matter the ce you are in."


    "You don''t know what you''re talking about," Han Shitian said, evident fury in his tone, "it was just a mistake."


    "Just a mistake, you say," Gale''s voice rose another notch. "Mistake is identally stepping on ants, notpletely disregarding human lives, Han Shitian. Mistake you say, well, Han Shitian, your mistake cost the lives of over a dozen innocent people. That''s not a mistake in my book, not by a long margin."


    "You don''t know anything," Han Shitian bellowed, his Qi drawn threateningly approaching Gale and his stand.


    "Now, that''s a mistake," Gale said and released his second fate-lock. He protected his twopanions and stood up, ready to make a move. However, the enforcers in the room took action first, joining together to crush Han Shitian''s momentum.


    "Arrogant prick, he still thinks he was wronged," Gale snorted and turned towards the entrance. "Well, Mr mayor and whoever you''re with, I think you have assessed the situation enough,e quickly, or I won''t be able to keep my hands to myself after this."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale sat back in his chair, not locking back the Guardian Emblem, just in case he needed to use it again.


    "Are you alright?" the old woman asked from his right.


    Gale nodded. This was really his toned down attitude, if it were his peak, he didn''t know what he would have done with these pricks. It wasn''t just about losing arge part of his power, but Gale believed he had matured a lot in thest six months.


    Well, with the number of deaths he had seen, there was no other way than maturing, though people like Han Shitian made him feel sick from inside. Right when he learned the whole business of why the Han family was banished here, he regretted not banishing them back from Wayshire too.


    Not that he could do it without paying a cost. Not that it would change anything either, as Gale mentioned, a prick like him would always find a crack in thew or simply disregard it to do his own bidding.


    After a little while, a couple of figures came into the room under the gazes of everyone in the room. A man who looked in his forties, but with his Gold rank cultivation, he could be anywhere between sixty and a couple of hundreds. He had a traditional white practitioner robe on, which could be called the only good thing about his figure.


    It seemed like the four advancement metamorphosis hadn''t done much for his face as he looked constipated with a potato-like face.


    Gale couldn''t help but give Han Xiao''s mother a look. Could the two really be rted? How? Of course, Han Xiao''s mother wasn''t a wingless angel herself, but she was a lot--A LOT--better than this chiselled half-baked potato.


    That man was the mayor and along with him was another Oldman, who probably took care of most things in the town in the mayor''s stead.


    "Excuse me for myte arrival," the mayor said as he came in the middle of the conflict. He then turned to his brother-inw. "Shitian, as I reminded you again and again, you need to keep the rage inside." The mayor then turned his head to address Gale. "That advice is valid for you too young man. In Tianhui, we don''t do things differently."


    "Different how?" Gale challenged, "Disregarding your duty, overlooking the faults of your close ones when they decided to gang up upon poor powerless people?"


    The mayor narrowed his eyes, there was a dangerous glint in his eyes, but he pursed his lips as it was beneath him to answer.


    "Young man, you''ll act courteously when you''re under this roof," his counterpart told for him.


    Galeughed out loud and decided to disregard thatment. All this would only create a circle of throwing abuse at each other, hardly worth his time. "Anyway, since we''re here, let''s finish with this farce."


    "We would have already done with it if you listened to my proposal," Han Shitian said indignantly. He had calmed down remarkably, though his voice was still heated. While his better half looked troubled during the whole confrontation. As for Han Xiao, well, let''s forget that ck sheep for now.


    "Give me back my sword and apologise to my family for your indignant behaviour," he said, "and we will stay out of your business as you will, too."


    "That''s a little funny, don''t you think?" Gale asked. Still, it was better than what he assumed. Considering the image Han Shitian built for himself, Gale assumed he would ask for something outrageous, banishing Gale out of the valley, and something humiliating to his disciple.


    Well, considering how much of a scare Gale gave that fellow, he probably needed to keep his arrogancy in check.


    Still, that didn''t mean Gale would agree to this. He wouldn''t even agree if they decided to formally apologise to him and his disciple. Not so easily.


    "What''s funny about it?" Han Shitian asked, raising his eyebrow.


    "Don''t you think you should start by apologising if you want your treasured fate lock back?" Gale asked. "I considered making a hoe out of it if the negotiation didn''t work, so choose your next words very carefully."


    A few indignant snorts fell on the room.

 Chapter 140 137 Challenge Of A Duel (2)

    Han Shitian didn''t burst into a rage after hearing Gale''sment, courtesy of the presence of the mayor, to be honest. Gale was sure they had cooked up something together, only waiting to release it at the right moment.


    Well, it was an open scheme. Even if Gale found out, he couldn''t stop them from scheming together. Honestly, he was seriously curious about where their scheme would lead them. If they chose the hard way, then Gale would have no choice but to take the hard way with them.


    So the affair progressed, mostly with the Han Family projecting themselves in a good light. Of course, everyone in the room knew who were the rotten apples here, but that hardly changed anything.


    Han Family considered everything and where they were at fault¡ªwhich was, at most ces, courtesy of their residential ck sheep son. Anyway, to rectify their son''s first fault, they provided legal papers of marriage agreement between Han Xiao and Xiaolin.


    Of course, anyone with a good enough connection and some wealth could forge tens of such papers in one night.


    "It seems like you''re butting in on the problem of others, youngman," the mayor''s assistantmented. "Honestly, I can''t me the vigour of youth. Anyone would be tempted to butt in others'' problems when there was such a bright prize to have."


    "Oldman," Gale scoffed at the Oldman. "Bring your head out of the gutter. The predicament wasn''t nearly as screwed, and you know it. You knew it, the Han family knew it, the mayor knew it. Everyone in this room knows it."


    "The paper says otherwise," Han Shitian said, as the other authorial figures in the room nodded. Except for most of the enforcers, of course, most of them didn''t really care about politics and just wanted to do their job. However, most of the time, they have to bend knees to these political figures like Hans and the mayor.


    "That reminded me, I have a paper with me too," Gale smiled smugly, bringing out a parchment out of his void lock, "this says, Han Shitian fucks animal. Both parties sign it. Here you see Han Shitian''s sign and here is the footprint of a very alluring cow.


    "The paper says it, so it must be the truth."


    Gale showed the paper to everyone in the room, holding it in his hand. However, nobody even cracked a smile. Instead, a pensive expression crept to most of the people''s faces. Han Shitian was doing everything to calm his rage. However, seeing something like this, he couldn''t bottle it up anymore.


    Gale''s next phrase only poured fuel to the me. "That must have been one hell of a cow for you to leave your beautiful wife like that. Well, don''t look at me like that. I''m not judging you. You must have your reasons."


    "Do you think this is a farce?" Han Shitian yelled, fury boiling in his voice.


    "Isn''t it?" Gale retorted.


    "Do you think I''ll let you off so easily after you make such a nuisance of myself?" Han Shitian argued. "Just because this is a little town, you think you''ll get away with it."


    "Getting away with stuff is your thing, Cowfucker," Gale snorted, aggravating the older practitioner even more.


    "YOU!" Han Shitian burst with momentum again. He was ready to make a real move now, not the contest of invisible aura sh, but a real sh. He didn''t care how Gale defeated him on their first run. He didn''t care that he didn''t have his best weapon in hand. All he wanted to do now was behead the scummy foreigner.


    However, before Han Shitian could even take the first step, an arm touched him on the shoulder.


    "Husband, calm down," his wife said, narrowing her eyes at the culprit. "You''re ying in his hand."


    Han Shitian wasn''t ready to listen to his wife, however. He hadn''t been this aggravated in months. How could he let it go so easily? Gale humiliated him in front of a crowd, in front of his wife. That''s hurt men the most.


    "Shitian, listen to your wife," the mayor told him with a clear glint in his eyes. A silentmunication went through between their eyes as Han Shitian eventually calmed down.


    The mayor took the things in hand after this and decided to not let the topic drift in the hands of the foreigner. Most people might not see it, but he was very much aware, this was all a calctive measure from the foreigner.


    Most people might think Gale was just doing it to humiliate Han Shitian, which should also be a valid reason, but the foreigner was also doing it to invalidate the written papers the Han family provided here.


    Of course, the papers were forged. He knows it. Lou Shan didn''t even have to read to know it, but he couldn''t say it out loud. His first task now was to de-escte the situation and make it more in Han Shitian''s favour.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Obviously, Lou Shan hardly enjoyed scheming, but he got to go on that road when the family was involved. He would be here in the town for some time after this, so he decided he would give his fool nephew a good lesson after this.


    "Mr Gale, was it?" the Mayor addressed Gale,ing in the middle of the farce. "I assumed you to be an intelligent man, so don''t make a clown of yourself."


    "It''s Mr Carpenter for you, but yes," Gale said, narrowing his eyes.


    The mayor nodded. "I have a few questions for you," Luo Shan said. "I''m assuming you''ll answer them truthfully."


    "I''ll be more truthful than this wicked hypocrite."


    "Please make your answer short and to the point, Mr Carpenter," Luo Shan said. He wetted his lips as he opened with the first question. "As you''re the legitimate master of Ni Xiaolin, and with the absence of her real guardian¡ªwho was her father, Ni Zong¡ªyou have the authority to void any agreement between your disciple and any other party if you deem it unfair or unjust.


    "So, Mr Carpenter, you strongly suggested you like to void the agreement between Ni Zong and the Han Family. If so, please provide the reason for your decision."


    Gale picked his eyebrows. So this was the way the mayor was legitimising Han Xiao''s im to take Linlin as his spouse. Gale was good at understanding political y, though he didn''t like it very much. That didn''t mean he didn''t know anything about it.


    Gale had been the Al''Caizer in the southernnds for a period of time, he had to learn stuff like politics for it. Although his rule hadn''t ended well, he could y a few hands at politics as well.


    Unfortunately, the mayor had blocked him in the first argument here. No matter what he said here, all would go in the favour of the Han family. Just think about it.


    For all that mattered, Han Xiao never really cared about taking Linlin as his bride. He just wanted some fun with the pretty girl. If Gale denies the im here, it would mean he invalidated the legit agreement between their marriage, which was never really a thing, just ast-minute forgery to save the young master''s ass.


    Well, it would relive Xiaolin of Han Xiao forever, but it would also invalidate every im of harassment she had on Han Xiao, considering it would legitimise the young master doing it in the pretence of being her future husband.


    However, if Gale keeps the false agreement intact, it would be even worse. It would make way for Han Xiao and his disciple''s union, and even if the Han family never really cared about taking Linlin in matrimony, wicked people like them would try to get everything out of this situation.


    "I can guess where this is going," Gale said, sighing inwardly, "but yes, Han Xiao, or the Han Family had no im over Ni Xiaolin. She was and is her own person. The agreement never took ce in the first ce, but you''ll definitely outy that from the papers, so let''s get on with it. Next question."


    The mayor gave him a t stare, obviously not caring about the word jab.


    "The next affair is a bit contradictory," Luo Shan continued. "Mr Carpenter here imed the Han family sent their practitioners after him in a wicked attempt to do harm to him and his people."


    "Attempts," Gale cut in, "plural." .


    "Alright, moving on. Mr Carpenter had provided various evidence and witnesses, including our newer addition to the enforcers, Sun Ziang. I have looked over all the evidence Mr Carpenter provided and cross-checked with the evidence Han Family had given. I must say, both reports were quite contradictory, although I can see that it was the Han family at fault."


    Gale was a little surprised finding the Mayor''s verdict, but he knew it was too early to celebrate it, knowing the mayor would get back to biting him again.


    "However, you are at fault, too, Mr Carpenter, for eliminating them at first offence," the Mayor said.


    ''There is it,'' Gale mused. Thankfully, he was prepared for it. He wouldn''t get stained just because a few hypocrites threw mud at him for their benefit.


    "Your im on this issue diminished with your brutal excuse of sentencing half a dozen men to their death," the mayor said out loud, bringing joy to the Han family dugout. "Honesty, you are lucky that the Han family weren''t putting charges on you for this, if not for--"


    "Slow down bloke, you''re making the verdict even before hearing the entire case."

 Chapter 141 138 Challenge Of A Duel (3)

    "Slow down, bloke, you''re taking a verdict even before hearing the entire case," Gale cut in. "I guess you''re in haste to prove the innocence of your loved ones, but hear me out first."


    "You have more to say?" The mayor narrowed his eyes, contemting.


    "Sure," Gale said. "Who said I killed those poor sods the Han family sent after me? Most people didn''t deserve to die for their master''s sins and since they couldn''tplete their task, I decided to be lenient with them. So, no, I hadn''t killed them."


    "You hadn''t?" The mayor asked, just to make sure. He looked at Han Shitian in the corner of his eyes. The mayor was here on only a couple of days'' notice. He hardly had time to do his homework in the case, so slip up like that wasn''t his fault, but from where he got all the information from. The Han family.


    "Well, if you hadn''t, where are they?" The mayor asked. "You can''t just say something without providing valid evidence."


    "Of course, I have evidence. Why else would you think I''d bring this up?" Gale smiled. "Actually, one of the former Han Family men is here with us. Just wait a minute, he''ll be here."


    Under the watchful gazes of the couple dozen people in the room, a figure emerged into the room. Tagging along with him were a couple of guards, just in case. The neer was a man who loved to be in histe twenties, silver ranker, though instead of the superior robe of a practitioner, he had a normal-looking farmer tunic on as if he had changed upation recently.


    "Gang Rui?" Assassin Hao said aloud at the neer, shooting a re.


    "Old Hao," Gang Rui nodded curtly, his voice neutral. He only shot the old assassin a look, unbothered by the gazes. He came to stand in Gale''s dugout, formally acknowledging where he stands from now on, ignoring the looks the Han Family was giving him.


    "I guess the old fool provided evidence of his identity," Gale said, shooting the mayor a look. "Ask him whatever you want."


    The mayor was about to, however, Assassin Hao beat him to it.


    "Traitor!" Old Hao screamed, spitting out at Gang Rui.


    A hurtful expression appeared on Gang Rui''s face, but he was prepared for it when he decided he would confront his old master.


    "Am I, Old Hao?" Gang Rui asked.


    "You have taken an oath, Gang Rui," Old Hao screamed. "You have taken an oath to live and die for the Han family. How could you betray the oath? How are you even standing right now?"


    "Old Hao, it seems the old age has made you forgetful," Gang Rui said calmly. "You forget, oath works both ways. For what it''s worth, Young Master Han has broken the dozen times, however, being at the long end of the oath, he didn''t feel any change. Well, knowing the Young Master, I fear he had no recollection of when and how he had released me of my oath."


    What Gang Rui was saying was easy to understand if one was clear about the whole Soul Oath business. The first point to know about Soul Oath was that it can work in both ways. In the case of Gang Rui, his oath to the Han family was along the line of him working wholeheartedly to his death, as long as the Han family serves the role of an honourable master.


    That oath was screwed and highly demanding to begin with. Thankfully, Gang Rui was intelligent enough to put a restriction on it. A way out for him, just in case. Well, they probably allowed him to put thetter part of the oath, only because he had the potential to be a gold ranker. And you can''t treat gold rankers like ves or simple leashed practitioners.


    Unfortunately, most of the other practitioners weren''t as lucky. Most of them were basically ve to their oath to the Han Family, hence they still retained the role ofbouring ves under Gale.


    Anyway, to Gang Rui, he had taken the oath when he was barely a teen. He had been with the Han family for over a couple of decades, and only three years under Han Xiao. And in that time, the ck sheep young master managed to dishonour his role as the master over a dozen times.


    Han Xiao had him clean shit that would let him question why he was doing it in the first ce. Well, Gang Rui could''ve left the first time. Han Xiao released him from the oath unwittingly. However, a change of master changed many things. Gang Rui wasn''t prepared for it.


    "Unknowingly and under Young Master Han, I have fallen so low that I couldn''t even recognise what I was doing wrong," Gang Rui exined. "When I was young, I had principles, however a couple of weeks ago, I couldn''t remember most of them. Thank Master Gale¡ªhe was kind enough to remind me."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The Han family didn''t cheap out on shooting res at Gang Rui after he said that.


    The former Han family man continued without retorting. "I have done questionable things, but for the respect, I still hold for the Han family, I won''t spill out. Not to mention, my own hands were stained. Although I have done those wicked stuffs onmands, that didn''t change the fact that I have my own free will to walk the way. But I haven''t. I took the easy way, being happy with the resources I got from the Han family. But after I met Master Gale, he changed my life."


    "Hmm, I''m simply too charismatic," Gale said smugly, shooting a look at Han Shitain, who was clearly fuming at his audacity and also at the ipetency of his son.


    "Master Gale questioned my purpose in life, and when I couldn''t answer, he said something that I would like to quote it here:


    "He said, ''It''s okay to have no purpose in life or most people have uncertainty about their calling all their lives. Even I have lived most of my life without one and still wasn''t that certain about it now. However, a life without principles? That is where I draw the line. Without principles, men are nothing but rabid beasts. If you like to act like a rabid beast, I can''t help but treat you like one as well.''


    "After that, Master Gale gave me two choices. One was staying as the rabid beast, the other was to change. Change and be the man others would look up to. My children can be proud of."


    "So you changed masters," Han Shitain spoke, his tone high with indignation.


    Gang Rui''s face went sour, but he decided to not retort to a gold ranker, not to mention his former master.


    "Don''t worry about him," Gale shrugged, "He just has a mental incapability to look above his personal gain."


    Gang Rui actively refrained from joining the word jab of gold rankers. Even if some gold rankers'' image didn''t demand respect from lower rankers, their strength certainly did. Gang Rui had seen stuff in the capital to know that. Of course, he decided to change, but he hadn''t decided to be so foolishly courageous as Master Gale.


    Then again, Master Gale was a Gold ranker who was capable of defeating Han Shitian within a couple of moves.


    "What can even the foreigner give you that Master Shitian can''t?" Old Hao yelled.


    "I think the answer is clear already," Gang Rui said, bowing slightly towards Han Shitian. "Respect. No offence to you, Senior Han Shitian. I have taken a simr oath to Master Gale, fully knowing he wouldn''t be able to provide as many resources as the likes of the Han Family. However, I re-figured there are more important things than those glittering stones."


    "Respect, huh?" Han Shitian sneered. "You think you''ll be respected just by changing your master? No, Gang Rui, only the powerful ones are respected, and you clearly are not and will not be one of them."


    "Perhaps," Gang Rui said to his old master. "Perhaps, but at least, Master Gale treat me like I''m a human¡ªI matter¡ªunlike young master Han, who thought of me as nothing better than a--" he clearly wanted to say dog, but considering how he got his ass handed to him by a cute-looking Vale, he decided to term it better "--leashed practitioner under hismand who would objectively listen to his everymand."


    Han Shitian had a face that clearly wanted to retort and say: That''s exactly what you are. The family hadn''t helped you to grow just for you to betray like this.


    But he was clearly aware he would lose the argument if he burst out with that. Not that there was any argument left there to be had, his fool son saw to it. Perhaps things would have been different if he hadn''t left to earn back his glory, but there was no point in regretting it when the cat was already out of the bag.


    He exchanged nces with his brother-inw¡ªthe mayor¡ªgesturing to tell him to take control of the situation again.


    "I guess that settles the case for one practitioner," The Mayor said, empathising with the word "one". "What about the rest of them?"


    "The rest of the practitioners were alive as well," Gale said, "though I must admit most of them aren''t in that good of a shape or position. Since they attacked me on my turf, by martialw, I have a full im over their life and death. If you wish you can meet them, but forget about taking them back now."

 Chapter 142 139 Challenge Of A Duel (4)

    ". . .If you wish, you can meet them, but forget about taking them back."


    "What did I tell you, Luo Shan?" Han Shitian said, shooting a displeased look at the mayor. "I told you, he wouldn''t be ready to negotiate. People like him as he pleases. We should''ve gone the hard way from the beginning."


    The mayor''s face wasn''t looking all too well, either, though he still had some patience left. "Like I mentioned, Shitian, you need to work on your patience," he said, and turned back to Gale. "Mr Carpenter, you presented your case well. As per martialw, the few practitioners belong to you. However, since you decided to cut time from your busy schedule to present yourself here, I''m assuming you are open for negotiations."


    Gale gave a simple nod. He had no false hope that the Mayor would y fair, just because he took his side for once. As far as Galeprehended political y, this was merely a setup. Good cop, bad cop y in a way, a setup for them to win it all.


    "You''re just not ready to settle under any unfairness, is that correct?" the mayor continued, getting his approval. "How about this, then? We are all people of the martial world. Why not settle this the way martialw suggested?"


    "Duel?" Gale asked, just to be sure, shooting a disdainful nce towards Han Shitian.


    Would that hypocrite fool really believe he could win against Gale when he got his ass handed to him just after a couple of moves? That was when Gale wasn''t prepared for a gold ranked contest. Would Han Shitian really stand a chance when he didn''t have his main fate lock with him?


    No, they were suggesting something different. Something they had full assurance of winning.


    "Duel," the mayor nodded as he brought the scheme to light. "However, in the beginning, no gold rankers will be involved in this conflict. Since this had been a simple conflict between youngsters, so why not let them settle this on their own?"


    "So let me get this straight," Gale said with a wolfish snare. "You want a contest between my disciple and that hypocrite''s son?"


    "More or less," the mayor said with a straight face, even under Gale''s scrutiny. "Since it was their conflict to begin with, why not let them deal with this?"


    "Uneptable," Gale said before anyone could speak. He stood up, preparing to leave. "I really hoped that this wouldn''t be a waste of my time. However, you people have failed me. Do you think I don''t understand what you''re cooking? It isid bare before everyone''s eyes."


    "Of course, it is," Han Shitian said, regaining his lost confidence. As for arrogance, he nevercked that one. "But martialw suggests it. You cannot ept this simply because your disciple is useless, makes me wonder why you take her under your wing."


    His tone was suggestive, but Gale didn''t care. He simply turned towards his disciple. Xiaolin was biting her lips the moment the mention of duel turned up.


    Gale fully intended to let Xiaolin deal with Han Xiao before all this. However, the worthless young master pulled one shit after another, leading him to make a move. However. . .


    Han Xiao had been a nightmare in Linlin''s life for thest two years. The worthless ck sheep had harassed her more than enough for her to be resentful of his entire ancestry. If Gale really denied her a chance here, even for her good, it would create a barrier between them. Not to mention, this would hamper her future potential, her spirit arts.


    "Linlin, do you believe in me?" Gale asked her in a whisper.


    Xiaolin replied in a nod.


    "On second thought, a duel between Linlin and that worthless fool seemed like a brilliant idea," Gale said, surprising many in the crowd, even among the Han family dugout. They hadn''t thought he would agree this easily. "Of course, we''ll do it fairly, what the martialw suggests. For what it was worth, the ck sheep is already at copper rank, where my disciple is still hanging in the initiation rank. The contest between them would hardly be fair, wouldn''t you say?"


    "So you want me to wait decades for your worthless disciple to advance to copper?" Han Xiao spoke for the first time, and as usual, his tongue was full of venom.


    Gale gave him a stare, cold and full of murder. "Sit down," hemanded.


    The young master abided. Before he knew it, the buttock was on the seat.


    The mayor took the opportunity to propose something that they probably cooked up together. "Of course, of course, we can''t let a practitioner fight someonepletely helpless. But we can''t keep the conflict going either. Why don''t we make the duel a Qi-less brawl?"


    "No," Gale said. That was worse than a fight with Qi. In a real duel, at least Linlin could defend a couple of blows as she stood now. However, in a Qi-less brawl, with the constitution on the poorer side, she couldn''t even stop a single blow.


    "Well," the mayor thought contemptuously, "do you have any suggestions, then?"


    "I do," Gale said, pointing one finger. "One year. They will duel in one year. The disparity in their rank wouldn''t matter. They will duel to their death unless one of them yields first."


    "One year?" Han Shitian yelled. "You can expect me to leave my fate lock with you. How are you--"


    "epted," the mayor cut him off, epting the duel.


    "Luo Shan!" Han Shitian grumbled, repeating the same words to the mayor.


    "I have the final say in the matter," the mayor told him and everyone in the room, "and I epted the duel in one year''s time. Now let us discuss the demands of both parties. Who would like to go on first?"


    Gale gestured for them to speak their mind first.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Shitian, do you have any specific thing to add other than Mr Carpenter giving back your fate lock in case his disciple loses?" the mayor asked.


    "I do," Han Shitain said with a wicked smile. "I want him to kowtow to me before everyone present in this room and give me one of his hands."


    Gale raised an eyebrow and remained silent. It wasn''t really that much of a demand. Gale had fought and seen worse wagers than that.


    "Mr Carpenter, do you ept the demand?"


    "Master," Xiaolin whispered softly, looking at him with concern. Gale gave a reassuring nod and turned back to the mayor.


    "I ept."


    "Great," the mayor said. "Then please speak of your demand."


    Gale nodded and turned to his disciple. "Linlin, do you want something from them?"


    Xiaolin didn''t have to think hard on that, though she took her time to answer.


    "A formal apology," she said, "andpensation for all the wrought brought to all the families that tried to help me, which includes the Shan, Wang, Xiao, Lian. . ."


    "So, an apology andpensation for all the wrong your family did her." Gale put it into simpler words. "Apart from that, I want you to release the men I captured from their oath."


    "Uneptable," Han Shitian yelled. "Those are my men. The Han family poured a lot of resources to cultivate them. I would rather kill them than let them be your underlings."


    Gale sighed. "I guess the deal is off then," Gale said. "Looks like we''ll have a unique graded fate lock hoe with us. Hey, Gang Rui, you have one slot of your fate lock open, right? Would you like a hoe for that? It will make your job a lot easier."


    Gang Rui, the recent oath-bound to Gale has to work as his Stewart and protector of the Stormhold. Gale promised him resources for him to advance to Gold, though he was sure it wouldn''te that easily. As for the unique grade fate lock¡ªThe Divider¡ªhis old master''s weapon, that was worth tens of times more than Gang Rui''s life.


    He had no answer to give.


    "You want me to believe you''ll waste a fate lock of such caliber?" Han Shitian sneered. "Can you even put a dent in the weapon?"


    "Fate locks aren''t as indestructible as you may believe," Gale said with a smile, "but that''s off the topic. The point is, there''s no deal without you epting my demands."


    Han Shitian gritted his teeth, torn between shooting forward to thrash the smug foreigner in the face and leaving everything to the Mayor.


    "epted," the mayor said, deciding for Han Shitian.


    Han Shitian was about to shout out loud, but Han Xiao calmed him down with his words.


    "Father, don''t worry, you''ll only lose those men if I lose. And I won''t lose."


    Han Shitian narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, I ept. So we have a deal, in one year''s time, your disciple and--"


    "Hold your horses, bloke, I''m not nearly done with my demands," Gale cut in.


    "What else do you want?" the mayor groaned, breaking out of his monumental ugly image.


    "Atonement," Gale said, his tone stern, "I want him to atone for all the sins hemitted to those families, the reason he was banished to this ce."


    "Those families," Han Shitian sneered, "they are alreadypensated by the Han family."


    "But you haven''t atoned," Gale said. "You need to present yourself in person before every one of those families and apologise. Most of them will not forgive you, but this is the bare minimum you can do as a fellow human being."


    The veins in Han Shitian''s face were twitching. Him apologising to those lower-ss families even after he was banished here?


    Uneptable.


    Unfortunately, he faced an indestructible wall here. And that wasn''t the end of Gale''s demand.

 Chapter 143 140 Returning Home (1)

    "Apart from that, there are a few small things," Gale said. "If I knew better, I would have made a list."


    Han Shitian and the rest of the Han family were ring at Gale even before he could finish, their aura boring malevolence.


    "Uneptable," Han Shitian screamed before his brother-inw could mitigate the situation. "You think I''ll agree to everything just because you stole my Fate lock? Do you think I can''t pull enough weight just because I was banished here? No, I would rather fight you to death than bow my head again."


    "I guess we''ll have a go at it then," Gale said with a t expression as another aura and qi sh urred between them.


    A few of the practitioners got down after they couldn''t endure the pressure anymore. Most of them were from the enforcers and Han family. Gale protected his people properly with Guardian Emblem. Of course, he had it easier, doing it for only three people.


    "Husband," Han Shitian''s wife tried to stop him, but to no avail.


    "Shitian!" the mayor was in the same position.


    "Don''t try to stop me, Luo Shan," Han Shitian bellowed. "I won''t relent on this. The Han n isn''t something every cracked practitioner can make fun of."


    Luo Shan narrowed his eyes. His mind whirled in the calction.


    Gale was about to say something, but pursed his lips, protecting his three people. He didn''t know how much of this was just a y, only a show, but he had known the scion of the old ns being arrogant and prideful like this. Even if their pride was misced.


    Han n, for what it was worth, was a first-rate n of Tianhui. Of course, they can''t hold a candle to the great Sun n, an extremely few people could. However, the Han n had been there for a couple of thousand years. They have over a dozen gemheart experts, led by the illustrious Grandmaster of their n.


    Well, as far as Gale''s information went, the grandmaster had one of his feet in the grave for several decades, but that changed nothing in the short term. And higher ranked practitioners'' short term couldst for several years.


    "Chen''er, please take Shitian to get some fresh air," the mayor demanded atst.


    However, Han Shitian wasn''t ready to relent. "I won''t ept, no matter what you say, Luo Shan."


    "I''m not asking you to ept, Shitian. Listen to me," the mayor reminded him sternly. "Please get out and get some fresh air, while I''ll negotiate with Mr Carpenter here."


    After some thinking, Han Shitian relented to the mayor''s persuasion and moved out with his wife and son, leaving the rest of the Han family entourage in the room. A few sighs of relief could be sensed in the room as the pressure of the gold rank was lifted off their back after the departure of Han Shitian.


    "Let''s take a break for half an hour," the Mayor said as he got out of the room as well. Slowly, the other practitioner from the Han family moved out as well.


    Sun Ziang came and exchanged a few words of pleasantries with Gale and the rest. Being new to local politics, he couldn''t provide any insight into the y, though he indicated he was on their side, even though enforcers were supposed to be the neutral force.


    Gale grunted and manipted Qi to form a sound-eliminating bubble, enveloping the five of them.


    "I guess this will provide enough privacy," Gale said, "but if you have something sensitive to point out, please do it by hiding your lips with your palm."


    Of course, lip-reading couldn''t provide a hundred percent certainty. It was still a thing and quite easy to read.


    Grandma Wang was the first one to ask the question. "Are you going hard on the demand so that they would cancel the duel, or do you just want to know their depth?"


    "Thetter," Gale said with a sigh. "I guess the prideful nsmen would swallow anything, but not anything that would stain their reputation. And it seemed they got mad when asked to bow their heads. I can''t really understand that. Your culture is wrong. You are supposed to do it when you''re wrong."


    The old woman blinked her eyes together with Sun Ziang, but decided against going deeper into that topic.


    "So you really want Linlin to duel that entitled boy?"


    Gale nodded. "This could be called the first real adversary in Linlin''s path."


    "How sure are you about it, though?" Wang Yushen continued. "Not to pry, but Linlin still hadn''t managed to break through to copper, nor made much progress in that direction."


    "Well, she made some progress, her resistance and immunity are growing," Gale discussed. "She finally has the strength of a normal male, and it hasn''t been a month yet. We got enough time for me to prepare her."


    "A year," Wang Yushen nodded. "The Han family can easily help Han Xiao reach Iron by that point."


    "Obviously," Gale said, turning towards Xiaolin. "At the speed, we are moving, Linlin had a high chance of breaking into Copper in six months. Hopefully, that will change some requirements of her constitution. Cycling will be easier for her. Honestly, if not for the issue of Qi leakage, attempting to reach gold in a year would just be challenging for Linlin, but I''m satisfied with iron for now."


    Sun Ziang perked his brows hearing about Xiaolin advancing to Gold in one year. He couldn''t help but give the girl a look.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale continued. "With a couple ofpatible fate locks and spirit arts, she would be ready to fight scions of most ns, much less an entitled little shit like Han Xiao."


    "All will be well if all goes ording to your nning," the older woman said with a sigh. "However, the old age only made me more pessimistic."


    Gale perked an eyebrow. "You can be rest assured," he said seriously, patting his disciple on the head, "since I take her as my disciple, she''s my responsibility."


    Wang Yushen nodded.


    "Anyway," Gale turned to Sun Ziang, "do you have any insight to provide?"


    Sun Ziang thought for a second and nodded. "The old captain and I were talking before this meeting began. He told me, the mayor will go hard on getting a win here. I think the mayor will probably try everything to make you agree to the duel. Of course, Han Shitian wouldn''t agree to anything that''s too humiliating for him, even though his side is reassured with the win."


    "Hmm, interesting," Gale said. "So you''re telling me to make the most of the situation?"


    Sun Ziang blinked in confusion, unsure how Gale got that idea.


    "Sadly, I didn''tck spirit marks," Gale said. "What can the Han family or the mayor provide that I already don''t have?"


    Sun Ziang didn''t know the answer to that, and he didn''t need to provide the answer. Gang Rui, the former Han family man, did it for him.


    "Universal Law tform," themoner silver ranker said, startling both Sun Ziang and Gale.


    "They had something like that?"


    Gang Rui nodded. "Of course, they weren''t the sole owners of the tform," she said. "But they do have ess to it."


    "However, the question is," Gale said, "will they even give up single ess to the tform for a banished son like that?"


    Gang Rui wasn''t too involved with politics to give a certain answer. "Before the banishment, Han Shitian had a high spot in the n," he said. "The elders had high hopes for him, but now I''m not so sure how much connection he still had with the Han n."


    "Master," Xiaolin asked, curious, "What''s a Universal Law tform?"


    "Something that helps gold rankers'' breakthrough to Gemheart experts," Gale said straightly. "Of course, the breakthrough isn''t guaranteed. The tform makes it ten times easier, however, the chance of one breaking into Gemheart is screwed to begin with, barely 0.1 to 1 per cent for most practitioners."


    Xiaolin''s eyes went wide hearing him. "Master, then. . ." Linlin didn''t have to finish for Gale to know what she was going to ask. "Will this help to advance to Gemheart as well?"


    "Me, more than most people," Gale said with a rueful smile. "I''m closer to that 1% than most practitioners. Even if it didn''t help me be a gemheart level expert in one go, I think I''ll get what I need to be a master in orthodox spirit arts, which in retrospect makes it easier to breakthrough into gemheart."


    A win-win situation, even when he failed, though there wereplications with the taint.


    Sun Ziang whistled. "I still don''t know why you''re doing farming here."


    Galeughed self mockingly. "Trust me, I don''t know myself."


    "Master, you need it absolutely," Xiaolin said, more intensely than anything she ever said in her life.


    Gale was amused by her words. "Didn''t I say it gives no guarantee of the breakthrough?" he asked. "Most practitioners need to get ess to such a tform over a dozen times to get the insight before they can even attempt Gemheart."


    "But they are most practitioners," Xiaolin said, "you''re not most practitioners."


    Gale smiled warily. That''s some dangerous level of trust Linlin had in him. Not to mention when he hadn''t beenpletely truthful about his situation with her.


    "I guess I''m not the most practitioner," Gale said. "Summoned from a different world¡­ bearing three ancient and unique fate locks,panion of a Guardian spirit beast, and a few other interesting things."


    _ _ _


    These chapters are growing more and more. Some of the things weren''t even bourne of my n. Still, I''m satisfied with them.

 Chapter 144 141 Returning Home (2)

    The break hadn''t ended, but the mayor came back, and most practitioners of the Han family were still in the office, but he strolled towards Gale as the decision-makers of the Han Family were still out.


    Under the gaze of everyone present, the mayor crept towards the direction where Gale and the others were discussing. Unbothered by their displeased look, the mayor addressed Gale. "Walk with me?"


    Gale tilted his head at the mayor, shooting a confused look, but the mayor was already on his way out,pletely expecting Gale to follow him.


    Gale turned towards Sun Ziang who shrugged.


    "He''s probably going to tempt you with something good to make you agree," Grandma Wang said.


    "That means I should go and listen to him," Gale said as he stood up. He scurried after the Mayor at his pace and found the mayor waiting outside with his contemting ugly face.


    Seriously, this bloke must have screwed something big. One simply can''t have this much disconcerting feature without pulling some serious shit. He was so ugly that it led Gale to wonder if he was some prince who got on the wrong side of some fairy or witch, and they made him like this.


    s! Only true love could revert his gorgeous princely look back.


    Unfortunately, life wasn''t a fairytale, no princess woulde to kiss this ugly roasted potato.


    Anyway, both of them crept out of the office without exchanging any words. The mayor''s great mansion and the office were just side by side, tied together by the longwn. The mayor led him into thewn, under the naked sun and happy clouds. He didn''t seem to be in haste to get the conversion going.


    Gale was ready to take the initiation, but he halted finding a familiar figure. No, it wasn''t Han Shitian or his ck sheep son, but an exquisite figure, picking flowers from the garden.


    She noticed the presenceing in her direction and turned with wide eyes. The girl was a knockout, having the right curves at the right ces, the white robes hugging her body, highlighting the alluring shape. She was too young to get the hourss figure that Wang Li has, though some work could change that easily.


    As Gale scrutinised the girl, his mind whirled urgently, ringing with the same phrase: ''Don''t be his wife. Don''t be his wife. Don''t be his wife. Don''t make the fairytale true, even if this ugly duck is a prince in disguise.''


    The girl was too gorgeous to be the better half of the ugly duck. Thankfully, the girls'' greeting guided him out of his misinterpretation.


    "Father," the girl known as Qing''e said, bowing slightly to the mayor.


    Gale blinked. He blinked multiple times, hardly understanding the incredulity of what she indicated. He turned his head back and forth between the literal fairy and the ugly duck in aical way.


    The sheer probability of Qing''e being the mayor''s daughter. . . Gale was bad at numbers, but he was sure the numbers were in the negative, even if probability could never go negative.


    ''Yeah, definitely, adopted.''


    Luo Qing''e greeted him too, bowing her head like a woodpecker. "Senior Gale."


    Gale returned the bow still with that incredulous expression.


    "You two know each other?" the mayor asked, a frown intensifying on his brows.


    "I ran into Senior Gale at the tailor shop in the morning," his daughter enlightened him.


    "Ahh, then you two probably know nothing about each other, save for the names," the mayor said, but his daughter blushed in embarrassment, remembering how Gale saw through her with just a look of her aura.


    The mayor missed the redness in her neck and cheek, as he started to boast about his daughter.


    "Mr Carpenter, meet my lifeblood, my soul, my one and only daughter, Luo Qing''e. She will being of age in about a month, yet already close to breaking into Silver rank. Truth be told, she already would be in the silver rank, if I hadn''t stopped her."


    "I could see that already," Galemented, but he was startled nheless. Of course, it was from learning Luo Qing''e was the mayor''s biological daughter. She wouldn''t be some changeling, would she? How in the world would he exin this?


    Moreover, she wasn''t an adult yet, where his disciple was about half a year older than her. They certainly didn''t look that way. Xiaolin had a baby face full of innocence, while Qing''e had the potential to evoke the desires of men with her exquisite figure.


    "Ha ha, she makes people speechless like this," the mayor continued with his boasting.


    "Must be tough for you being her father," Gale said with some implication.


    But the mayor missed that implicationpletely. He waspletely blind when it came to his daughter, it seemed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Haha, you got that right," the mayor said, "I used to get dozens of young men on the doorstep every day,ing to ask for her hand. Even after I sod them off, they couldn''t stop talking about Qing''e"


    "Father, stop overpraising me," Luo Qing''e said, getting flustered easily, her aura control hadn''t be any better in the few hours, still shing all the embarrassment like a bonfire. "Senior Gale''s disciple is beautiful too. . ."


    Her voice trailed off right there as her mind came to recognise why Senior Gale was here. Luo Qing''e wasn''tpletely aware of the stuff that happened that led her father toe back to the town, but she knew it was regarding the Han family offending someone.


    As all things came together she finally understood why there was a thin infringement between her father and Senior Gale.


    "Father, is Senior Gale the one who. . ." Luo Qing''e let her voice trail off as the implication behind them was enough for her father to understand.


    "Unfortunately yes," the mayor said with a sigh as slowly anger formed in his expression. "That fool boy, I thought age and apletely new ce would do him some good in maturing, but he never ceased being the flippant boy I detest the most, offending people left and right, throwing the weight of his father and n."


    Luo Qing''e narrowed her eyes, her aura suggested some conflict in nature, though she expressed nothing in front of the outsider.


    "You simply cannot expect people to grow in time and ce," Gale said, shaking his head in disapproval. "It''s mostly about upbringing. Look at my mate, Sun Ziang, a scion of the Sun n, yet you''ll hear no bad things about his character, much less hearing about him throwing the monumental weight of his family around.


    "It''s upbringing, Mr Mayor. I''m afraid your sister failed there in epic proportion."


    "It''s the problem of their n," Luo Qing''e said and was about to continue borating on the topic, however, a look from her father stopped her.


    "Daughter," the mayor said, "why don''t you go inside? I and Mr. Carpenter still have some things left to discuss."


    Luo Qing''e nodded her head and bowed to her father and Gale before creeping towards the mansion. Gale couldn''t help but watch her go, but remembering her father was standing next to him, he stopped himself from leering at her swaying hips.


    "I may boast too much about my daughter, but she truly is a jewel in the rough," the mayor said.


    Gale nodded in agreement.


    "After her mother''s death, she''s the only one I left," the mayor continued. "I would always want the best for her no matter how much of a hypocrite it turns me into."


    "I might be prying into your family business," Gale couldn''t help but say, "but you better look for what she wants, not what''s best for her."


    The mayor didn''t show any anger or indignation at hisment. "Oh she won''t tell me, but the girl is terrible at her aura control," the mayor continued. "Of course, you have noticed that. I know exactly what she wants, and I''ll do my best to let her have it."


    They talked back and forth in irrelevant topics to the duel until the mayor''s aura turned stern again, as he reverted to their main issue.


    "Mr Carpenter, I know my nephew had wronged your disciple, thinking he''d get away with anything," the mayor said. "Unfortunately, I don''t have the power to do anything about it. I''m afraid you have to do it on your own if you want fairness for your disciple."


    "The duel."


    "The duel," the mayor repeated. "Honesty, I don''t see your disciple winning in any way, however, that''s not my ce to look into it. You''re a capable practitioner, I''m sure you''ll cook up something."


    "Unless I don''t give consent to the duel," Gale said, returning to the main point.


    "That''s why we are talking here," the mayor said. "You asked for a year, you get it. However, you''ll not see Han Shitian bend much further, the same is true for the real Han n. A friendly piece of advice there, don''t try to rile up Shitian too much. Even if he''s banished, he''s a true heir, and the Han Family can take things personally if pushes to shove."


    Gale narrowed his eyes. "Your threat is convincing enough, but I am not the one to bend, either."


    The mayor clicked his tongue. "What will tempt you to agree to this duel?"


    ''Your daughter,'' the words almost got out of Gale''s lips, but he swallowed it down, considering he couldn''t just sell his disciple. Not to mention, it was really inappropriate to the father and more to the daughter.


    Most of all, listening to his dick never went well for him.


    "I''m afraid you have nothing that could really tempt me," Gale said atst.

 Chapter 145 142 Returning Home (3)

    "How about this," Luo Shan said, "if you give your consent to the duel, I''ll bear all the cost of cultivating your disciple, including the cost of all her resources and fate locks, of course, their grade would depend on her potential."


    Seeing no change in Gale''s expression, the mayor added, "That is, even if she loses the fight."


    "That''s very kind of you," Gale said atst, "but do I look like I can''t bear cultivating a disciple?"


    Well, that was probably it. Since never really dressed extravagantly or showed off his vast wealth, he could be mistaken as somemon gold ranker. Well, with him working with the upation of a farmer, even less than amon gold ranker for all that mattered.


    "Well, you probably know nothing about my well-being," Gale continued. "Just know, I have more than most Jade-heart experts by myself. As for other revenue and liquid wealth, honestly, I have no idea how much it has grown since I left."


    The mayor raised an eyebrow,prehending the truthfulness of his confession. Atst, he decided Gale couldn''t just be tempted by wealth.


    "Even with wealth, most times you can''t get the best fate locks," the mayor said. "In most cases, both wealth and connections are needed."


    "Well, you''re right about that," Gale said and provided no further input.


    "So if you agree with this. . ." the mayor''s voice trailed off as he turned to find Gale juggling with four colourful beads in his hand.


    The mayor''s eyes went wide as he grasped what were those beads.


    "Are these. . ."


    "Yep," Gale told him.


    "All unique grades?"


    "Sure," Gale said as the four fate locks disappeared one after another into his void lock as if they were merely an illusion before.


    Luo Shan swallowed silently as a thick knit formed in his brows. The Han family was definitely wrong about the depth of this foreigner. They thought of him as a greedy fool who just wanted to scam them of Shitian''s unique fate lock. But that certainly wasn''t the case.


    It seemed like the mayor really needed to y thest card, as there weren''t any other options left to tempt the foreigner. Thankfully, he had the exact thing that would make most gold rankers'' hearts tremble with passion.


    "Well, you do have more wealth than a Jadeheart expert, it seems," Luo Shan said, "so the only thing that I was left to tempt you with is the strength of a Jadeheart expert."


    Gale perked an eyebrow, understanding the implication of the words.


    "I assume you know about the Universal Law tform?" the mayor said, his voice boring some pain, as if it was really costing him something big. "I can give you a chance to meditate on the tform for an entire month."


    Gale said nothing for some time, pondering over his choices.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Is this the opportunity the Oracle told me about?'' he mused. ''No, it can''t be. The tform isn''t just unique to Tianhui. There were a few others throughout the realm, though nobody would give me the opportunity this easily. Hmm, although breaking into Gemheart gives a transcendental vibe to the soul, it can''t cure corruptionpletely. Notpletely, but it does make it easier.''


    "Curious," Gale said, "what are thews the tform is based on?"


    Luo Shan was conflicted about finding Gale interested in the tform, even though he was the one who offered the opportunity. Well, it was something huge for gold rankers, and from the look of his expression, it seemed the mayor was offering this of his own, not the Han Family.


    "Themon five elements, Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Space," the mayor answered with a cough. "Apart from that, there is Light, Shadow, Life, and Chaos."


    So a properw tform.


    After considering this for several minutes, Gale let out, "Are you sure about this?"


    "No," the mayor said truthfully. "Honestly, my chances of breaking through to jade are slim, but it always leaves a foul taste in my stomach, giving away such an opportunity."


    "Well, you have no reason to give it away," Gale said, prying. "the fault is with the Han family to bear, even if it is your ce to keep the peace of this town."


    "You won''t understand, and honestly, I don''t want or expect you to understand," Luo Shan said with an aged tone. "Let me just ask you onest question. You can decide not to answer it if you like."


    ***


    It took an hour more to finalise the official papers ready for the duel. Yes, they agreed on the duel exactly one year from now on.


    Unfortunately, Gale hadn''t managed to get Han Shitian to apologise to the people he condemned, which left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. Well, he couldn''t have everything, could he?


    Still, Gale got more than he assumed. Apart from the ticket to the Universal Law tform, they agreed the Han family would release the few people under him from their oaths along with a formal apology to Linlin and the other farmer families.


    Well, Gale wasn''t really in haste to agree with all the terms even though he nned to agree at some point. In the end, it was his disciple who rushed the agreement, after hearing about the Universal Law tform.


    Linlin almost became fanatic hearing the mayor offer him that. She agreed on the spot for the duel just so that her master could have the chance to break into a higher rank.


    In her defence, her exact words were, "Master, since you came to the town, you have been nothing but kind to me, wasting so much wealth and time on a person who is deemed worthless to most people. I can never repay the hope you brought into my life. However, if there is any way I can help you, even a little, I''ll do it within a heartbeat."


    Her confession left much for him to contemte. Perhaps it was about time for him to open up about his wound to her.


    Well, definitely not all about it, but showing his ankle leg would suffice for now.

 Chapter 146 143 Returning Home (4)

    Gale and co didn''t wait ceremoniously after they were done with the negotiation. They crept out of the office without wasting time on the way back to the inn.


    "Master, in one year''s time, Han Xiao will undoubtedly be an iron ranker," Xiaolin said, her tone pensive. "Whereas as I''m now, I could barely be a copper ranker at that time, cultivating with pure crystal ingestion. You expect my constitution to change for the better as I rank up, but what if it doesn''t? What if it leaks even more, as in copper rank I will be able to hold more Qi?"


    The concern in her voice was genuine. But Gale was thankful she was acting natural now. Linlin wasn''t the same after she eavesdropped on him and Wang Li talking. Thankfully, the worry about the duel got her to act naturally again.


    "Then we lose, wouldn''t we?" Gale said as they crept down the road to the Inn.


    Xiaolin''s face went aghast hearing about losing.


    "What? Uneptable?" Gale smirked.


    Xiaolin nodded. "I don''t want to lose to Han Xiao," she said. "I know my chances of me winning are slim, but I will do everything to beat him. For you, for my father, uncle Shan, grandma Wang, elder sister and everyone else."


    "You''re right about your chances of winning being slim the way you are right now, but you''re wrong about other things. For example, the advancement metamorphosis didn''t make it worse, instead, it made the body more capable of cycling and holding Qi. As you rank up to copper, I expect you to cycle Qi four times. Considering your natural speed, the augmentation would leave you almostparable to anymon iron ranker."


    Of course, that wouldn''t give her any edge over Han Xiao, save for the cultivation speed. Unless Xiaolin could reverse the perks of her constitution as well.


    "But what if Qi still leaks out of my body?" Xiaolin questioned. Even though she didn''t want to be pessimistic, she couldn''t help but worry.


    "That is a genuine concern," Gale said, frowning. "Of course, I meant to solve that issue with a Qi storage-type fate lock after you''re ready, which you''d be in a couple of weeks. However, as I''m seeing things, I think we should wait until you break into copper."


    "Why?" A knit appeared on her brows.


    "I have a hypothesis, and I think only after examining the changes after you advance will Ie to a conclusion."


    "What kind of hypothesis?" Xiaolin asked, interested. The old woman was silent on the whole journey, listening to them talking with a contemtive look.


    "I''ll tell you if I''m right," Gale said. Honestly, if he was right, it wouldplicate things for his disciple and he didn''t know if it was for the better or worse.


    Well, the path of spirit arts is full of uncertainty, even though clear paths were established. Gale had to fight all sort of uncertainties after being summoned to this realm, and it was about the same for his disciple as well.


    "So I should train the way I was doing?" Xiaolin asked, biting her lips.


    "Obviously, though, in addition, we''ll lean to give you more field experiments," Gale said. "So expect to work on your physical and Qi application more."


    Gale had got a few locations of low-level dungeons from Sun Ziang, which were located in the mountain range. The noble scion had found middle-ranked ones too, but they weren''t useful for Linlin currently.


    Of course, those low-level dungeons were still too much for his disciple. Even when she ranked up to copper, there was no way she could clear a low-grade dungeon on her own.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That didn''t mean he should just leave her until she made it big in spirit arts. Gale was nning to practise her in the dungeon under his supervision from next month, of course, before that he would have to teach her a crucial thing.


    "Master," Xiaolin said after a while, "even though I asked for you to let me stay in the inn for some time, I think I should leave with you tomorrow. I shouldn''t waste time since my elder sister is holding up well."


    Gale nodded, finding no fault in her request. "Or you can ask your elder sister toe with you," Gale told her with augh. "Remember how her cooking lets you recover faster?"


    Xiaolin''s face brightened after hearing that. She really wanted her Elder Sister with her, even though she wasn''t sure if her elder sister would agree toe with her. Of course, her master could teach Wang Li too, but she had other things to be concerned about as well.


    "That reminded me," Gale said, remembering the smug look Wang Li gave him after they met Qing''e in the tailor shop. The innkeeper clearly knew that the girl was the mayor''s daughter, yet she yed him in. Thankfully, Gale made no mistake, or else.


    "Linlin, do you want to y a prank on your elder sister?"


    "What prank?" Linlin clearly wanted to say no, but she decided to reflect on the option for once.


    "Well, nothing too big," Gale said. "You don''t have to do anything. Just act on with me with a pensive expression. Leave everything to your master."


    "But what will you do?" Xiaolin asked, still wasn''t convinced. While the older woman frowned.


    "Just give her a big scare," Gale said. "But don''t worry, this will increase the chances of hering with us to help you cultivate."


    "Master, you seriously can''t hurt her," Xiaolin reminded him.


    "Of course," Gale said and came closer to her. "Just listen to what I am nning. . . ."


    _______


    A question for Privilege buyers.


    Which of the two options would you like better about the privilege tier?


    Option 1: A high tier with a 99% discount so that you won''t have to pay much for the rest of the month.


    Option 2: A rtively cheaper tier with 0 or less discount.


    Please answer them in thements as your answer will reflect in next month''s privilege tier.

 Chapter 147 144 Returning Home (5)

    Gale entered the inn along with Xiaolin, both with pensive looks on their faces, as if something foreboding wasing their way, and they knew it.


    It had taken a long time for Xiaolin to get the pensive vibe, even though she was worried after all the negotiations took ce. She got nervous, simply thinking she would have to deceive her lovely elder sister.


    Well, with some advice and mentoring, she was good to go. Gale advised her to channel that inner anxiety into the y, as that was the secret to acting.


    They found their target the innkeeper on the open veranda, already working on the clothes to make dresses for them. The little boy Rong''er was nearby, seriously reading some picture book with all his effort. Well, he couldn''t read, hardly of the age of three, but the pictures were just too entertaining for him.


    Gale exchanged a look with his disciple, gesturing to start with her act.


    "Master, what will I really do?" Xiaolin said with her terrible acting. Even though she was worried; knowing that it was but an act, her voice turned rigid. It


    It was alright, Gale guessed as they carried on towards the Innkeeper.


    "It''s terrible I know," Gale said, "but don''t take it too hard, Linlin. You only have your master to me for this."


    "No master, you did nothing wrong," Xiaolin said, getting more into her character. "It''s that ugly Mayor."


    Gale sighed,menting.


    Wang Li was already listening to everything and picking on the tone they were talking. She immediately rested her work to focus on their conversation.


    "What happened?" Wang Li asked, growing distressed by their conversation.


    "I made a terrible mistake," Gale said, rubbing his forehead. "Even worse than when I fell in love with a yandere?"


    "What''s a yandere?" Wang Li frowned and then shook her head. "You know what? I don''t even want to know that. It''s probably something stupid from your world. Tell me, what happened? Did the mayor and the Han family do something outrageous?"


    "Not just outrageous, it was outright unreasonable," Gale said. "Why does Linlin have to pay for my mistake? If only I had kept my mouth closed, none of this would have happened."


    "What happened?" Wang Li asked, her anticipation growing with distress.


    "Linlin would have to duel Han Xiao to death," Gale said, biting his lips.


    "What?!" Wang Li lurched up from her spot, shouting, even alerting Rong''er from his reading. "That''s outrageous. How can you let it happen?"


    "I have no other way," Gale said. "The mayor, I, kind of, offended him even before we began negotiating the terms of the conflict."


    "What? How?"


    "You remember that pretty girl at the tailor shop?" Gale asked, his expression guilty. "What was her name again? Hmm. . ."


    "Qing''e," Wang Li asked, as a knit appeared on her brows.


    "Yes, Qing''e," Gale said, nodding. "We came across her on the way to the mayor''s office. Sadly, my pride got the better of me and I decided to pick on her. Unfortunately, I acted a bit. . . prudishly. . ."


    Gale''s voice trailed off, but nothing came of his disciple. Gale had to re at Linlin for her to remember her lines.


    "Master, with all due respect, that isn''t a bit prudish," Xiaolin said, "you literally asked her too many private questions. Most girls don''t like someone prying into their private life. If you had done that to me, I would have, I would have. . ."


    "What did you really say to her?" Wang Li asked, turning towards Gale.


    "Nothing too serious," Gale said. "I just quoted her a poem describing her beauty. Qing''e really liked the poem, blushing all over."


    Xiaolin snorted, improvising.


    "The thing is," Gale said with a hesitant tone. "Her father didn''t like the poem."


    "Master, no father will ever like some guy flirting with their daughter," Linlin added.


    "But I was very charming," Gale pouted. "And charismatic."


    "You probably would have got away with it," Xiaolin said. "What got you into trouble was what you saidter. You shouldn''t have justmented on someone for their ugly looks. I mean, I almost vomited when I first saw the mayor''s face, but I kept it to myself."


    "How could I have known that ugly bloke was her father and the mayor?" Galeined. "God damn it, even in this mediaeval world, I can''t get away from being sexist. There is no fairness in the universe."


    Both of them turned to face him, shooting a not-too-kind look, even though they weren''tpletely sure what he was talking about.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gale coughed. "If only someone had told me that ugly duck is the mayor," Galemented with all implication.


    "If only I knew Qing''e was his daughter, I wouldn''t have acted so outrageously in front of her. And now for my mistake, my dear disciple has to pay for it. I''m sorry, Linlin, your master only brought terrible consequences to your life."


    Wang Li bit her lips as she heard him. She knew clearly who Qing''e was, but decided to y Gale with her identity, thinking his overwhelming charisma wouldn''t work on someone whose family he was in conflict with.


    ? She had been anticipating the look Gale would show when he learns Qing''e''s identity. However, she hadn''t expected any of this. Even though the foreigner was outrageous, he was a polite sort, never taking things too far, but she could easily see him offending someone just by making fun of them.


    "This is all my fault," Wang Li said, sping Linlin''s palm. "I knew who Qing''e was, but I didn''t say anything. Linlin, I . . . What do we do? I can''t let you fight Han Xiao, you''ll die. . ."


    "Elder sister, it isn''t your fault," Xiaolin said, shooting her master a look as if asking whether or not they were done with the act.


    "I guess there''s one thing left for me to do," Gale said sternly with a frown on his brow. Gaining both of their attention, he continued in a chilling voice. "I should kill that kid and his parents."


    That brought aplete silence between them as a mild, chilly wind blew. Little Rong''er picked his head up from his book to look at them, but finding nothing interesting, he got back to reading the picture book.


    "That''s the only way left," Gale said, standing tall, turning toward the open outside. "Linlin, will youe with me when I go on the run? They won''t let you off, as you''re my only disciple and I won''t be in peace, knowing I left you."


    "Wait, why did everythinge to murder?" Wang Li asked, her voice distressed, worry boring down from her bodynguage. "Can''t you just leave with Linlin to the southernnd? I''m sure your master and others will be able to protest you from whatever the mayor and the Han family have for you."


    Gale was about to reply to herment, but his disciple took the moment to conclude their act, bursting into a loud giggle.


    "Elder sister," Xiaolin said, through her giggles. "Don''t worry, don''t worry. Master, you saw the look on her face, right?"


    "Poor Linlin, she broke even before the day of the fight," Gale said solemnly.


    "Stop it, master," Xiaolin said, clutching her stomach as she giggled. She crashed into Gale, making him stop by force.


    Gale broke into a burst ofughter as well, sping Linlin on the shoulder. "It would have been epic if you had let meplete the act."


    "That would''ve really created some problem," Xiaolin said, wiping a single drop tear from her eyes. "Master, you can''t just trespass on other''s homes to murder them for a prank."


    "Well, I would have murdered them only a little," Gale said.


    "How can you murder someone only a little?" Xiaolin asked as she turned to find the innkeeper with a totally confused expression on her face.


    "All this," Wang Li asked, evident anger in her tone, "a prank?"


    "Most of it," Xiaolin said, moving to hug Wang Li just in case she gave in to violence.


    "How could you?" Wang Li questioned, gritting her teeth. "How could you give me such a scare?"


    "Yeah, I told her, but Linlin was just too proud of her idea for me to stop her from doing it," Gale lied easily, shooting a stink eye at his disciple. "On that note, Wang Li, this ispletely Linlin''s idea. I had a minor part in it, and that too after she forced me to do it."


    Wang Li faced him with an incredulous expression. Gale had apletely honest face on, too hard for her to recognise the truth. So she turned to meet Xiaolin''s eyes instead, who just shook her head, breaking Gale''s honest farce.


    "How does a disciple force a master to do anything?" Wang Li questioned, shooting him an angry re.


    "Well, you know Linlin," Gale said with a cough. "She acted all too cute with those puppy eyes. How could I resist?"


    Xiaolin pouted, which was really too cute for him to resist. Gale would have patted her right on the spot if he hadn''t his image to maintain.


    "Still noting out with the truth?" Wang Li snorted. "Well,ugh all you want for now. But I promise you, Mr Carpenter, you''ll pay for giving me such a scare."


    "Only me?" Galeined. "Linlin, have a big part in it too."


    "Okay, both Master and disciple pair, get ready. You''re under my radar from now on."


    ___________


    Sometimes I wonder what if readers didn''t understand the dark humour. What if they take jokes as it is and leave?


    If you''re one of those people, remember, it is only fiction and the author mostly has a different ideas about life.

 Chapter 148 145 Returning Home (6)

    "Only me?" Galeined. "Linlin, have a big part in it too."


    "Okay, both Master and disciple pair, get ready. You''re under my radar from now on."


    "This isn''t fair," Xiaolinined.


    "You should have thought about that before scaring me like this." Wang Li pinched Linlin''s cheek. "Just wait, you two."


    "But it was all Master''s idea," Xiaolin pouted.


    "Don''t worry, disciple," Gale eased her, "With the two of us together, she doesn''t stand a chance."


    "We''ll see about that," the innkeeper said with a snort. "Anyway, tell me everything about what happened in the mayor''s office. After you gave me such a panic, I can''t calm down without knowing everything''s alright."


    "Well, this may sound a bit insane," Gale said with hesitation, "but most of what I said to scare you is almost correct."


    Wang Li shot him a re.


    "Of course, the duel will take ce in one year''s time," Gale said, "and I''ll have all the time to prepare Linlin."


    "Are you being serious?" Wang Li asked, her expression incredulous.


    Gale borated on how things went, from the forged papers of Linlin''s marriage to the mayor''s proposal of a duel. Of course, he mentioned that he meant for Xiaolin to deal with Han Xiao herself.


    Hearing all this, Wang Li couldn''t help but grow worried, even though Gale reassured her with his best effort. However, his best efforts were never enough to amend a woman''s anxiety.


    "I knew they were cooking up something," Wang Li said, grudgingly, "when they asked for Linlin''s attendance. Why did you let them get away with this? Xiaolin is powerless, how can you expect her to fight?"


    "There''s still a year for her to train," Gale reminded.


    "And you think a year is enough?" Wang Li questioned. "She barely learned to hold the sword the correct way, and you expect her to fight to the death?"


    "It''s only Han Xiao," Gale said, shrugging his shoulders.


    Wang Li only red at him as his disciple took joined the conversation, getting the chance.


    "One year is a litlte short, but roding to master, I can make it," Xiaolin said, biting her lips.


    "On hell you will," Wang Li said, still ring at Gale. "You''d be put through hellish training to get there."


    Xiaolin didn''t deny. "That''s why I n on departing with Master early tomorrow morning," she said,  "I''m already a hundred steps behind most practitioners, I can''t waste more time."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes. "Of course," she said, "I understand, and Gale, you better prepare her well, I don''t want to see any tragedy happening."


    "Don''t worry, I don''t even need to do my best to prepare her to fight Han Xiao," Gale said with a smile that he considered to be charming. Probably his misconception as the older woman shot him a re. "Really, I''m serious, Linlin isn''t prepared for my best.  She needed to be an Iron ranker at the very least for my best training. Hell, I''m not even prepared for my best."


    "I still have a problem understanding your humour," Wang Li said with a sigh. "So you n to keep on training her with the pure crystal?"


    Gale nodded. "Along with that, I''m nning on teaching her a couple of specific spirit arts to defend herself as well as going on some field trips," he said as a thoughtful look crept to his face. "Of course, all this would leave herpletely exhausted, even I''m unsure if we''ll be managed to put everything in the schedule."


    Gale shot his disciple a look in the corner of his eyes.


    "Unless someone can make food with rich life energy embedded in them for me," Xiaolin said, getting her cue.


    Wang Li lifted her eyebrows, but said nothing.


    "Haa, where can we find such a great cook?" Gale said in contemtion. "Someone whose rich life Qi could easily recover Linlin in an instant. Who would be able to handle this unruly disciple of mine when she decided to act foolishly?"


    Wang Li was momentarily dumbfounded hearing the master disciple pair. Of course, she could understand that both of them nned this together. They hadn''t only rehearsed the prank.


    "Why do I have this foreboding feeling," the innkeeper couldn''t help but say, shooting a re at Gale, "that you wanted to make a maid of me?"


    Gale blinked, hearing her out. "You know what? That isn''t that bad of an idea."


    Wang Li snorted.


    "Well, it''s a high paying job," Gale tempted her, sping his palms like an evil superviin. "And you''d also get the sweet-sweet advice from yours truly. With just one good treat, I''ll make you an Iron ranker if you agree."


    "Quit talking like a sex offender," Wang Li said.


    Gale exchanged a nce with his disciple, telling her it was her time, since his persuasive speeches failed. Now all that was left was to emotionally ckmail the innkeeper.


    "Elder sister," Xiaolin whined, "I can''t do this alone. You see how brutish my master is? He''ll work on me day and night relentlessly, leaving mepletely spent. Look at how poor my consitution is, I can''t keep up."


    Gale coughed.


    "Linlin, you might have worded that weirdly," Wang Li said, coughing.


    Xiaolin blinked, exchanging nces with her master and elder sister. It took several seconds for the realisation to dawn on her as she blushed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Elder sister," Xiaolin said through her flustered expression, "I''m serious. I can''t do it without you."


    "So you want the three of us to do it together?" Wang Li chuckled, making her blush harder.


    "Elder sister!" Xiaolin whined, clutching Wang Li''s arm. "I don''t care, I want you toe with me. Maybe only for a week? Can''t you do it for me?"


    Wang Li stared at Xiaolin''s unwavering eyes and sighed.


    ***


    The next morning the three of them prepared to leave. Sadly, they couldn''t make it to four as Wang Li declined to join them this time.


    Much of this should be because of what happened in her life. Also, the little incident that urredst time she went with them. Even if the ce was better for her spirit arts, she couldn''t let such an ident ur again.


    Of course, even if she couldn''t be here, she spent the whole night making food for Xiaolin, which would solve the problem of her recovery for a couple of days at the very least.


    "I almost had her," Xiaolin said as she got into the carriage with Vale. "But this is probably because she wanted to distance herself after what happened to her marriage."


    "I guess you only have me," Gale said, "until we get that maid."


    Xiaolin made a suffering noise hearing about the maid. Gale shot her a look and clicked her tongue.


    "Well, disciple, I haven''t checked on you since you went through acupuncture therapy," Gale said with a thoughtful look.


    "Master, I''mpletely healed," Xiaolin was too early to say that.


    Gale snorted. "That I''ll decide," he said and drew his palm forward, asking for her to leave her palm to him.


    Xiaolin did as Gale checked her channels with Qi sense.


    Gale closed his eyes,pletely focused to inspect any changes in Xiaolin.


    "You have certainly grown tougher after this ordeal," Gale said. "You''ll probably be twice as effective into cycling with pure crystal."


    "Really?" Xiaolin''s eyes beamed.


    Gale nodded. "I can''t exin how, but that seems to be the case," he said. "But don''t expect to go wack with pure crystals on a daily basis. I already had this conversation with you, right?"


    "Yes, master, more than twice, to be exact."


    "Well, a few extra times doesn''t hurt, especially when your disciple doesn''t like to heed your advice."


    Xiaolin looked down in shame. "Master, I won''t do it again."


    "Good, but be sure, I won''t let you," Gale said. "Anyway, acupuncture therapy has released your body of some hidden fatigue and foul energy. You probably noticed the change."


    Xiaolin nodded. "Master," she said hesitantly, "there''s something I want to tell you."


    Gale picked his brows, gesturing for her to continue.


    "It''s something I have to show you," Xiaolin said, flustered.


    "What?"


    "Its. . . its. . ." Xiaolin blushed. "You have to see it, I can''t tell you."


    Pressing her lips together tightly, Xiaolin unfolded the over robe she was wearing slowly, while battling to not get flustered. Well, that was a lost battle from the get go. She was all red the moment she began.


    "Slow down, disciple," Gale said, through his cough. "It isn''t time for it."


    Thankfully, Xiaolin was too flustered to hear him fumbling with words. She kept on unrobing until her upper bodyid bare, save for the sleek underclothes hiding her budding bosoms.


    But her figure was already alluring enough, with how much Xiaolin was blushing and shying away.


    "Xiaolin!" Gale urged.


    "Master, look," Xiaolin said, pointing towards a point under her belly button.


    Gale blinked, finding a faint runic mark on her abdomen. It was hidden among the tear marks Linlin''s body bore after her hurtful endeavour. But as she slowly healed, the markid bare more, though still too faint and iplete.


    "I first thought of it as nothing, just some skin tear," Xiaolin said through her blushing. "However yesterday during my acupuncture therapy, elder sister found this. I wanted to talk to you about this before, but didn''t manage to get alone with you before."


    "Hmm," Gale hummed, inspecting the mark with his sight.


    ___________


    Also, the book barely has 11 reviews (10, ignoring mine) and we are nearing 180k words down. That''s an awfully low number. Please review and leave a few good words about the book and make it easier for others to pick it up.

 Chapter 149 146 Opening Up (1)

    The mark was too faint to be a fate mark, not to mention fate mark patterns weren''t like this. As a genuine fate mark enthusiast and scriber, Gale knew this better than most people.


    Essentially, a practitioner needs to get in contact with some supernatural element¡ªnaturally bourne elements, or fate locks, to be marked by fate. The mark was just a physical manifestation, as it leaves a mark on the body as well as on the spirit.


    Through the mark, a practitioner''s aura changes as some superpowers manifest within them.


    "Do you mind if I check it closely?" Gale asked after some hesitation.


    Xiaolin nodded, not understanding.


    "It may be a bit ufortable for you," Gale said. "I have to touch there to pierce through with my Qi sense."


    Xiaolin nodded, unable to meet his eyes.


    Gale hesitantly drew his palm towards her abdomen. Although the ointments removed most of the scars, still faint tear marks were left on her skin. Without more treatment, they would take about a month or so to heal. Thankfully, most of the marks were hidden away with the clothes.


    Xiaolin didn''t meet Gale''s eyes for the whole time as he touched her abdomen. She shook slightly, drawing a heavy breath, then outright shivered when Gale drew Qi into her abdomen.


    She was clearly feeling it, pressing her lips tighter as she shook under Gale''s touch.


    Gale lifted his eyebrow to look at her. Xiaolin was all too red. She never had the touch of the opposite sex in her maiden life, not to mention in her sensitive area. He could feel her skin shiver as wild ideas ran through her head.


    Gale hated to admit it, but he was tempted. Hell, no straight male couldn''t help being tempted by her pristine beauty. Even though Linlin was petite, she had an extrinsic attraction about her, which led men to stare at her, wanting to possess her.


    Gale wasn''t too much of an exception to this rule, either. He had always been weak against women, especially against those fatally pretty ones, which had led him to many troubles over the years. On that note, most of the fatally pretty women were dangerous. Getting into trouble for them was just too easy.


    That reminded him. Didn''t he already get into trouble with the Han Family? True, he took the matter into his own hand from the beginning instead of walking away.


    Gale never really regretted it, and will not.


    "Master?" Xiaolin called meekly, lifting her head to look at him.


    Gale focused, stopping for his thoughts to run wild.


    "Yes." Gale focused on the problem. "I was having some thoughts."


    "Did you find out anything about the mark?" she asked.


    "I''m looking," Gale said as he drew Qi to the mark proficiently. Thankfully, it didn''t devour his Qi like what happened to him. Gale hummed, inspecting the mark in all the ways he could do without any test.


    "Master? Did you find anything?"


    "I''m not sure," Gale said. "I''m almost sure this isn''t amon fate mark." He drew his palm back to show her the spiral mark that held all his left wrist. It still seemed to be growing along with the space. "You hear my story and know something like this happened to me. However, genuinely, I don''t believe your case is like mine. You never got in contact with anything highly vtile, other than the pure crystal. But pure crystal doesn''t have this effect."


    Xiaolin bit her lips inment. She had hoped this was something big, rted to her weird constitution. Or may even be a fate lock mark. Of course, the chances were slim, one in a million, but there were people with inborn fate locks.


    s! It seemed she wasn''t so fortunate.


    Gale''s voice drew into her ears as shemented.


    "Well, even if it isn''t a fate mark, it''s something unnatural. I have a couple of hypotheses about this."


    Xiaolin wrinkled her nose, wanting to know more.


    "Linlin," Gale said, "by any chance, do you have any secret lineage?"


    Xiaolin was fast to shake her head.


    "What about your mother?"


    "I never met my mother," she said, frowning. "But there was a fat chance of hering from some great bloodline. Father always said she was amoner, a quartermaster''s daughter in the army. She died after giving birth to me."


    Gale frowned and decided against saying something on the topic. Rare bloodline and lineage were never thatmon to appear everywhere. Even if there were young masters of big ns who fuck around inmonces, their ns have a contingency for it. They never liked for their bloodline to carry through every whorehouse.


    "The reason I asked is that," Gale said hesitantly, "the mark has some faint resemnce to bloodline or other lineage marks.  Of course, it''s iplete, and I''m just not that informed on this topic to draw a conclusion. My senior sister knows the most about this, as for the people who can give any idea. . . Sun Ziang, he should have a lineage mark on his body."


    Xiaolin swallowed all the words, but she wasn''t too hopeful about that. There was no chance of her being of some great lineage. Her father would never lie about this, and there was no reason to lie either.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That fe wille to collect his Longread in a few days. We should discuss this with him when we can."


    Xiaolin frowned. Mastering all her courage, she said, "Master, I won''t show it to him."


    "Why?"


    "He''s foreign man."


    "I''m one too," Gale said.


    "You''re different," Xiaolin said. She couldn''t be more flustered than that. "You''re my master. You can know everything about me."


    Gale shook his head and was about to discuss this topic with her, even though he was ufortable talking about such stuff. Of course, not to most people, but Xiaolin was his disciple. He had a respectable image to maintain in front of her.


    Thankfully, Xiaolin changed the topic back to what they were discussing before he could start.


    "What about the other hypothesis?" she asked.


    "Your constitution," Gale said. "My money is on this hypothesis. The mark will probably be the manifestation of the mechanics of your constitution. That would mean your case is more like Vale''s."


    Both of the master-disciple pairs turned to the white hound resting. Vale lifted his eyelid a little to meet their gazes and went back to his rest.


    "Like Vale?" Xiaolin was confused.


    "Meaning you''re more of a spirit creature than a physical," Gale said, heaving a big breath. "There are advantages and disadvantages to it, but most of the time, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. For example, spiritborne creatures can travel through the spirit world easily, whereas a normal practitioner needs to at least hit Gemheart to even begin the travelling.


    "There are specific other powers as well like Vale can Protect with a big capital P. He can also augment his physical power to an absurd level. It depends on many things. . ."


    Gale''s voice trailed off as a sudden thought struck him.


    ''If Linlin is like Vale, that would mean. . . She was born of immacte conception.''


    "Mhm, Master?" Xiaolin called, finding him lost momentarily. "Is something wrong?"


    "Nah, you don''t need to worry about it now," Gale said.


    No, absolutely not. Gale wasn''t even sure about this. How could he get on with this notion and hit her with such a huge thing? If this turned out to be the truth, then all her life would be a lie.


    Gale couldn''t do that to her, not when he wasn''t even sure.


    "Anyway, the chances of my hypothesis turning out real are pretty slim," he said, "But I won''t be surprised if you''re any one of them or something else. Unfortunately, the mark isn''t even 1% of theplete mark for me to read. So don''t dream of bing absurdly overpowered like myself by the night."


    Xiaolin frowned, probably picking up something when he told her not to worry. But like the good disciple she was, Xiaolin nodded.


    Gale put that idea deep inside his mind and sealed it with the tag to only open about it if it was relevant and if his disciple could handle it.


    When that got out of the way, Gale thought about opening up about the big thing he was hiding. It was only right for him to do so, as Linlin depended on him too much. Of course, he won''t tell her everything about this, not when she was powerless.


    "Linlin," Gale started hesitantly, ncing towards the resting hound in the corner of his eyes. "It might sound a bit abrupt, but your master is hiding something big from you."


    Xiaolin lifted an eyebrow, but her reaction wasn''t that grave. "I think there''s more than just one big thing, Master," Xiaolin snorted cutely. "You have too many secrets."


    "Of course," Gale smiled, "most of them were secret recipes that I had taken an oath to never divulge."


    Xiaolin snorted.


    "Well, I''m about to open up about one of them," Gale said and drew in a deep breath. "How do I start with this. . . Hmm, you might have noticed, I acted a little weak¡ªwhich was unbing of a gold ranker¡ªthere was a reason for this."


    Xiaolin only frowned. The true power of a gold ranker was foreign to her to even have any idea about this, though she noticed her master acting off character sometimes.


    "The reason behind this is this," Gale said as he uncovered the big secret, lifting his left ankle to show her the bulging ck veins.


    Xiaolin''s eyes went wide like saucers as she drew back unwittingly, wrinkling her nose.

 Chapter 150 147 Opening Up (2)

    Gale covered his ankle before he got more repulsion from his disciple. However, as he was doing that, Xiaolin stopped him, clutching his arm.


    She hadn''t covered her upper body, yet moved to stop him with her best effort. In the end, Gale let her as he covered the robes for her. Xiaolin had no sense of that, however, her centre of attention was the ankle with bulging ck veins.


    Exchanging no words, she drew her fingers over the bulging ck veins, touching cautiously, unsure what could be the cause of this. She still wrinkled her nose as she scrutinised over the injury.


    The metal anklet with runic writing on them did draw her attention, but she had more notion of the ck veins.


    "Is this painful?" she asked atst.


    Gale clicked his tongue. "It had been," he said with a sigh, "now it''s mostly numb."


    "This is the burning smell, I noticed from the beginning," Xiaolin mumbled, fighting her natural repulsion towards Taint. "It''s like. . . It''s like. . . It is eating away your Qi, Master."


    Gale blinked. That''s a very specific guess. And the chance of it being the truth. Even with her natural affinity towards spirit energy and attributes, Xiaolin shouldn''t be able to make such a guess.


    Corruption or Taint, whatever you call it, eats away the fatebearer''s Qi once it infected them. It was how they multiplied and damned the fatebearer for eternity.


    "Master, why haven''t you treated it yet?" Xiaolin asked, her expression incredulous as Gale was ready to hide the ankle with the clothes again.


    "This is the treatment," he said.


    "What? Really?" Xiaolin frowned as she stopped him from covering the ankle again. "This anklet? How does it work?"


    "Well, it divided my Qi pool into two separate sources and sealed all the tainted Qi in the ankle, leaving the rest of the clean Qi to use." Gale thought for a second to add, "It''s a very inefficient treatment, but the best we managed in time."


    "Is there no other way to treat this?" Xiaolin asked with a frown.


    "Probably is," he shrugged, "but not everyone can do it or even afford it from capable healers."3 Honestly, he wasn''t even sure if there was any healer who could cure it though some unconventional means.


    The conventional means had been purging everything from body and soul, and that was already too exhausting both for the healer and the patient. Body, Soul, Mind, all three suffered greatly though this convention means, and mistakes were just too often when dealing with all those three things together.


    That was why the price of healing or even trying to heal Corruption was so extreme. Then there was the handful of capable healers who had some experience in dealing with corruption. Unless you give them a damn good price or favour, nobody would even lift an eyelid in your direction.


    They had given him the same conventional way to remove the taint on the courtesy of his master and for his image. Well, the feat he had achieved deserved something like that for free.


    Unfortunately, the reality was dimer than people think.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The conventional way was no way at all. Not for him, at the very least.


    Supposedly, the healers would purge all the corruption of his system, but along with that, they would purge all his Qi as well. Meaning he would have to start from the beginning if the process seeds.


    Gale would have taken this chance if it were as easy as it sounded. It took him six years to get where he was currently at, it would have been even simpler in the second term. Unfortunately, things weren''t as simple as that.


    To purge all the corruption, they would have to remove the fate lock from his body and spirit as well. Then was a soul-wrenching process as it was, and nigh impossible to do it safely for most people.


    Sadly, Gale wasn''t most people. It waspletely impossible for him to go on with the conventional means to remove the corruption.


    Magically speaking, it was his fate lock, which was the problem. The void-lock would probably kill Gale and all the people in a few li radius if they forcefully try to remove it. It was no less than a nuclear weapon itself, unfortunately, a suicidal one.


    This sted void lock had saved his life multiple times, but this waspletely outrageous.


    Then there was Vale, their bond would break through if they attempted to remove the Guardian''s Emblem. Gale wasn''t sure about the consequences of that.


    Unfortunately, as it was, removing his fate locks wasn''t an option, which left him as he was now.


    "Master, how did you get this?"


    Gale still hadn''t said what infected him. Well, considering her knowledge of the world, his disciple probably had no idea of the existence of Chaosfiends. Well, that''s for the best. The longer she would live without knowing their existence, the better it would be.


    "That''s a long story," Gale said. "I''ll tell you someday. I just wanted you to know about this. Counting you and Vale, only five more people know about this. So don''t speak to anyone about this, not to your elder sister, grandma, or anyone else. I have enough problems as it was. Who knows what would happen if they got the idea that I''m weak?"


    Xiaolin nodded seriously, understanding the immensity of the issue. Her master was never serious like this, so she needed to take this with extra care as well.


    "Master, how does this affect you other than weakening you slowly?"


    "Hmm," Gale thought for a second about what to let out of the bag now. Of course, he wouldn''t want to give her a big scare. "I''m not particrly sure, but I think it makes me more violent and reckless at times. That could be my personality, though I have always been good at keeping a lid on them."


    They conversed a bit on the topic as Gale proficiently changed the topic to the new training program he was nning for Xiaolin.


    However, she would always drive back to the topic of his injury and wanted to know more about this.


    She was convinced Gale wasn''t looking for any way to cure it anymore. Or why else would hee to their little town with no attraction?

 Chapter 151 148 Enlightenment (1)

    A month has passed.


    I survived somehow. Not only did I manage to keep myself in one piece, but I kept my sanity as well. Of course, I had help.


    The other earthlings¡ªImani, Cameron, Dele the doctor and his apprentice¡ªhelped, exerting as much effort as they could spare for me, but the big winner had been the mysterious woman who came into my room and healed me.


    No, not because she had a nigh angelic look. Weirdly, I couldn''t recall her exact exterior, but I was sure I would be able to recognise her if I saw her the second time.


    The memory of that night was still hazy, and the couple of weeks that passed hadn''t made it any easier. It remained in my head like a fading dream. I wished it to be true, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn''t find her.


    Worse, with how delirious my situation was, I couldn''t even remember all the words she had spoken to me. But I was sure she wasn''t a figment of my imagination. My healed left wrist was proof of that.


    Unfortunately, the evidence ended there.


    It was as if she was ying hide and seek with me. And I couldn''t find her. As if she was a ghost.


    I even asked Imani and the others if they have seen or know anyone of the description of the girl I met.


    Of course, I said nothing about the mysterious woman healing my wrist with her magical power, even though she had the ve cor on her neck. The woman was probably hiding from most people and the vers¡ªwhich was already a red g¡ªI acted less of a dick and kept my mouth shut.


    She had no reason to help me, but she did, even showed her secret to heal me. I couldn''t betray someone like her.


    I just wished she would stop ying hide and seek with me. It wasn''t even that much fun. Especially when I couldn''t find her.


    Unknowingly, I had grown an infatuation for that woman. As if she woulde again and would save me from this terrible world.


    As if. . .


    Quoting her, I shouldn''t hope for an angel to arrive at my doorstep and help me out of misery. Even though she did, helped me out of my misery.


    "Find peace of mind in this insanity," I mumbled, quoting her. "Only then I will be free. Only then I''ll find her."


    "What are you mumbling about?" Cameron asked, wiping sweat from his face.


    We were taking a break from mining. There were still a couple of hours left for the collection. Thankfully, both of us met the quota and hoped to earn some hand change with extra work.


    Obviously, the vers would never give honest wages for ourbour. Well, only fools would give honest wages to ves. This was just nothing but a ploy to make us work harder.


    Well, we are doing it, knowing everything.


    "Cam," I called the former ountant, "when you know meditation is working for you?"


    Cameron lifted his head to shoot me a look. "You still with the notion that meditation will make you wield magic?"


    "Just give me an answer if you know," I said with an annoying tone.


    "Well, I''m not sure." the former ountant hummed in contemtion. "I guess you''ll know it when you achieve something."


    "What kind of fuck''d up answer is that?" I snorted. "It ain''t like pissing in bed at night and waking up in the stink. Meditation is something spiritual. How do I know if I achieved anything in that?"


    Cameron chuckled. "Your tone tells me you have achieved nothing as of yet."<novelnext></novelnext>


    I shot him a re. He did have a point that I couldn''t deny.


    I had been trying to meditate for a few hours every day, even though my body was painstakingly tired most of the time after work. So far the only change I noticed was in my breathing.


    It certainly had got better and helped me tremendously with my work. However, I was looking for something more spiritual.


    Peace, to be exact.


    "I''m surprised, though," Cameron said. "I thought spirituality and meditation are things you''re knowledgeable about."


    "Not really," I answered. "I was put through a few meditative lessons when I was young, but I was too dumb to understand or even remember anything. Most of the time, I fell asleep. It was at that time my mum decided, it ain''t for me."


    How much I wish she had forced it on me now!


    "Then, my friend, you''re in trouble if you want to wield magic power through meditations."


    I winced. "It was five in the morning," Iined. "Anyway, you know nothing about it?"


    "Unfortunately, no, I never had the privilege of being introduced to meditation," the former ountant said. "I know a little yoga and breathing exercises, but nothing about enlightening oneself."


    "I kind of hoped you''d know something. You being almost twice my age, you should have thrice of my experience in life."


    Cameron blinked, staring nkly at my face. "Twice your age?" he repeated, his expression a bit dark. "I''m only thirty-five."


    Now it was my turn to be surprised. "Really?" I said, "I thought you just touched thirty or in the early thirties. You certainly kept your shape well."


    "That I did. Wait." Cameron frowned. "Gale, don''t tell me. If I''m twice your age, that will you a minor?"


    "Nah, bloke, I''m a miner," Iughed, "for all that good it did us, you''re one too."


    Cameron clicked his tongue, as he didn''t appreciate my pun.


    "As for your question, no, I''m not," I said. "I''m in myte teens, though."


    "Eighteen or neen?"


    "Will it change anything?" I couldn''t help but ask.


    "Probably not," the former ountant said.


    "Well, I had my birthday a couple of months ago, so, I''m pretty young to be ving away my life." I sighed as I said that.


    "Has anyone ever told you your mentality is a few years older than your age?"


    ___________


    A big thanks to Quietfuzzball_8 for the great review.

 Chapter 152 149 Enlightenment (2)

    "Has anyone ever told you your mentality is a few years older than average teenagers of your age?"


    "In our household, children are taught to be pragmatic," I said, recalling the teaching I hated most of my life. They were nothing, considering the hell I was living in now though. "I did everything to spite that teaching, but I guess it moulded me into the person I''m now.


    "As for my mentality, most people don''t really care, or I''m just too good at keeping the act ording to the situation and ce."


    "Yes," Cameron agreed. "That is something everyone does, but you do it rather proficiently. It makes it easier for you to blend with people and even befriend people."


    I shot him a sceptical look. "Really, I''m terrible at making friends."


    "Well, let me count what I''ve noticed." Cameron sat straighter and started counting his fingers. "You crack jokes even when drowned in misery that shows you have a strong will."


    "Well, that? It''s just a defence mechanism," I said truthfully, "to calm myself, mostly, and I like making jokes."


    Cameron narrowed his eyes at him. "Probably," he said, unsure. "But it shows a firm will. Some people will appreciate that and will probably want to be in touch with you."


    I frowned. I never considered such things, although it was right before my eyes.


    "That''s one thing," I said.


    "Then what about the flirting?" he inquired, "you hit it off with that Imani, who''s the top dog of the earthlings. You know she can crush rock with her bare palm, yet you made so many suggestions that would probably have got you in trouble if not for your individualistic personality and her openness.


    "This shows your ability to read people''s personalities and work with them."


    "Yeah, but that girl is taken," I said.


    "How about the doctor''s apprentice, then?"


    "What about her?" I asked tly.


    "What was her name again?"


    "Elea," I said, keeping my voice straight. "And for your information, we are just exchanging notes on what changed since she was summoned from the earth."


    "Sure bloke," Cameron said, mimicking my tone. "I trust your wordspletely."


    I snorted. "Anyway, back to the topic," I said, heaving a deep breath. "Meditation. Are you sure you know nothing?"


    "Nothing more than usual," Cameron said. "Things like being able to go into deep sleeps, formidablemand of mind, separating pain and other feelings. . . Honestly, I don''t even know how any of those are possible, but I have seen too much after being summoned here to frown upon that."


    I groaned. "All those seem too hard to achieve for a beginner like me," I said. "I just wanted to gain peace of mind."


    "Only that?" Cameron smiled brightly. "I can give you a piece of my mind."


    "Haha," Iughed a bit more spiritedly than I hoped. "Your puns are getting better. Still not at my level, but you''ll get there."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Cameronid back on the stone. "Honestly, I don''t know what are you even expecting to do with that?" he said and pointed towards the cor on his neck. "In case you forgot, you''ll never be able to learn anything rted to magic with that on your neck.


    "Furthermore, magic shouldn''t be within the reach ofmon folks or ves in the first ce. Haven''t you watched Harry Porter? You have to go to school and whatnot to learn wizardry."


    "So you''re saying I''m not a wizard?"


    Cameron clicked his tongue. "You''re a piece of work alright."


    "Suppose you''re right about that," I said. "You need something intrinsic to learn magic. And it''s pretty umon."


    "Where are you going with this?"


    "Well, wouldn''t you consider it funny when you find more than half of the ves used to wield some magic power? Vital energy, to be exact."


    Cameron looked at me suspiciously. His expression was incredulous, but he felt that I was telling the truth. "How do you know that?"


    "Elea told me," I said and got that look from him.


    "I thought you two were just discussing earthly matters."


    "And a few other things," I added in my usual neutral tone.


    Elea was the one who was in charge of looking after my palm when it was still screwed. Of course, she couldn''t do anything magical like the elderly doctor who had a faint bit of vital energy, or the mysterious woman who helped me who should have that in abundance to make it manifest in glittering light.


    I kind of had to bullshit my way out with her when they found my palm almost healed miraculously. Of course, they felt I was hiding something, but decided to keep their silence about it on consideration of my privacy.


    However, the matter didn''t end there. The little club the summoned individuals have wouldn''t be there if they werex like this.


    Hence, Elea.


    I kind of knew they were keeping tabs on any change from the thin spiral mark on my palms from her. That was the reason for her sudden interest in me. There were plenty of other big dogs in the ves, and though I was on the fairer side, I wasn''t nearly capable enough for her to show such interest in me.


    But to whom was I to me? They helped me, and it was natural to look out for suspicious things. I was too engrossed and even tried to get even angry about it. But it certainly had made me more cautious.


    "So what else have you and Elea been discussing?"


    "Well, mostly irrelevant things," I said. "Though I asked her to teach me themon tongue of thisnd."


    "She knows it?" the former ount asked, his tone suggesting interest. As a man ofmerce and intelligence, he knew how importantnguage was to people.


    And so did I. Unfortunately, Elea wasn''t that bright and didn''t hold the same interest.


    She did have a bright personality, soft-spoken and pretty¡ªall thesebinations were enough for others to show kindness to her. It didn''t matter if that kindness was borne out of lust and desire or something else.

 Chapter 153 150 Enlightenment (3)

    "Sadly, she barely knows a hundred words," I said. "I already learned half of them observing people, but I guess she was trying her best to help me.


    "I heard from her that Imani knows more. Well, she was here for a longer time, so it shouldn''te as a surprise, but somehow that woman seemed unfathomable at times. I don''t know how she kept over a hundred ves to settle under her in the first ce."


    "She''s plenty resourceful," Cameron agreed. "But I think you''re giving her more credit than she deserves. Yes, she did a great job, but she hadn''t done it alone, and. . ."


    Cameron''s voice trailed off as I gave him a look. He looked around suspiciously, then continued in a quieter tone, finding none eavesdropping. "She had secrets of her own."


    "Like how she became so physically strong," I added.


    "It''s not just strong, she''s freakishly strong," Cameron corrected.


    Supposedly, this world had this effect on people. Either you grow and adapt to the environment, or you die unable to do so.


    I was almost twice as strong of the time I was summoned. True, I was anky fellow, with no muscle mass in the beginning.


    Anyway, at the rate at which I was growing, I would leave Cameron in the dust in a month or two, courtesy of the potion Ol'' Theodore fed me.


    Train. Adapt. Survive. These were the three rules of this world. If you''re slow or ipetent in any of the former two, your survival would be in jeopardy.


    The potions helped me tackle the adaptation thing as I almost finished adapting to this world''s higher gravity and peculiar environments. My skin hadn''t got thick enough to shrug off the hot environment, though.


    "Her physical prowess isn''t natural," Cameron continued. "Yes, she had been here for longer than most people and survived. Time is a factor in adaptation, but there''s something unnatural about her."


    "Are you certain?" I asked. "Or do you feel this about every beautiful woman you meet?"


    Cameron gave me a disdainful look. "Please, I''m not a hormonal teenager," he said, venomously using me, "who can''t stop talking about a girl who helped his shit."


    I had nothing to offer as a defence of hisment. Although I had mentioned nothing rting to her wielding magical energy, I talked more than a handful of times about her, especially to Cameron, my only sane neighbour.


    "And for your information, I''m married, quite happily, actually. We had a babying and I. . ."


    Cameron''s voice trailed off as his mood turned a darker shade. Well, from the look on his face, I could see how spiteful he was of this ce. No less than me, even though his physical suffering had been lower than mine.


    "I hate this ce," Cameron said grudgingly.


    I guess it was only natural for him to hate the torture, the suffering, the envement, not to mention it had pulled him out of his sessful life, happy family, and unborn child.


    In contrast, I was more of a failure, though I never considered myself one. Well, I was a failure in social conduct and giving fucks about the family business.


    "You never talked about your life on earth," I said.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "You either."


    "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.


    "No," Cameron said, gritting his teeth.


    A silence drew between us as I found Cameron dealing with his sh of emotions. He was good at controlling them. Atst, he sighed in resignation and turned to me.


    "We already have a name for our child," he said quietly, even though he didn''t want to express anything about it. "Jane, my baby girl, I can''t even see her face now. . ."


    I opened my mouth to say some words of reassurance or even a word of constion, but I barely managed anything. There was no assurance, nor constion.


    Thankfully, Cameron didn''t need my assurance. He was a grown-up man and knew how to deal with his issues.


    Well, all I managed was to let out some words about my life, wishing it would make him feel better.


    "I can''t say I have left behind anything like yours," I said. "A girlfriend, probably, but nothing serious. She''ll get over me within a week. As for family, I had everyone. More than a normal family should have to be honest. Mother, father, step-parents, uncle, aunts, cousins, step brothers and sisters.


    "My parents have been separated for about a decade now. I kept in touch for most of the time, though I had been growing distant since I was admitted to the university. . . I guess this is no different, just a terrible struggle with terrible perks andbour."


    Iughed humourlessly and cursed myself for being terrible at being honest. Well, Cameron gave me a nod and expressed he appreciated it, which was a lot since he had been my only friend in this terrible world.


    Well, I interacted with Elea more than enough to call her a friend as well, but there was always the notion of her only interacting with me for other reasons¡ªlike keeping tabs on the spiral mark¡ªwhich kept me a healthy distance away from her.


    "Well, we need to get back to work," Cameron said as he stood up.


    I did as well. We moved to the hotter region, where mining was a bit easier with plentiful crystals to pick. Pushing the trolley was always difficult as the day progressed. It was getting more and more filled with those gleaming crystals as we got tired of picking them.


    That day would have ended with nothing, in particr, to note save for us opening up about our past, unfortunately, that was not to be.


    It was the second time I learned about the dangers of mining.


    A huge bombardment echoed from the east side abruptly, pulling me out of my stance. My first thought had been the earthquake, even though there was a clear resounding bombardment.


    Then the ground and ceiling shook.


    __________________


    Finally done, it''s 4.30 in the morning. . . and I have a heachace.

 Chapter 154 151 Enlightenment (4)

    "What''s happening?" Cameron yelled as both of us scurried off in the other direction of the bombardment.


    The ground and ceiling shook in remembrance of the bombardment as charred dust, and shards fell. Thankfully, only the initial tremor was a hard one, the rest were manageable.


    Still, my heart was beating like a fish out of water. I took a moment to get a hold of myself as we secured ourselves a rtively safer ce with a wider scope.


    I found my insane neighbour there, shuddering with his head bowed between his legs in one corner. I wasn''t sure if he noticed our presence, as he remained in his own world.


    "This feels more like bombing than a natural disaster," I said, sniffing the charred, pungent air.


    Thankfully, the quake didn''t cover much further ground and declined in its intensity shortly, though the pungent air remained. Well, the air was pudgy and stuffy, to begin with, but it became hard to breathe after what transpired deeper into the fiery pits.


    However, once the worry of losing our life got over, a new worry hit both of us together.


    In our fright, we left our trolleys and sprinted to the top of our speed. Life was more important than meeting the quota for a day. That seemed like the hard truth. However, gettingshed over a hundred times would make you question if you''re even right.


    Sexual assault, robbing, and thievery were all toomon in the mines. The guards kept the peace, but they didn''t bother if the sleeves kept it to themselves and didn''t hinder the collection.


    We even got our hard-earned crystals robbed from us a couple of times already. Evidently, I wasn''t dumb enough to stop them and got myself injured again.


    Anyway, back to the problem at hand. It seemed we were worried about nothing. Thanked the gods of both worlds for that.


    Thankfully, nobody had stolen our hard-earned crystals from our trolleys. The most probable reason for that was the bombardment. Nobody in their right mind would bother to steal crystals when their life was at stake.


    I wasn''t so sure about that if we''re a few minuteste though.


    We came back for our trolleys after a few minutes when the mine and atmosphere calmed down.


    Cameron and I exchanged nces. Both of us had suspicious expressions on, contemting what had transpired deeper into the pits.


    "Something magical for sure," I stated, my voice sounding more hopeful than logical.


    Well, I wasn''t sure why I was hopeful about that. It was an explosion, it could simply be a bomb. or something simr.


    "Gale," Cameron told me in earnest, "you seriously need to put a check on your obsession with magic."


    I was about to retort with my acerbic wit, but something else caught my attention, which outweighed throwing a witty remark at my only friend in this realm.


    A few guards shot out of the direction of the bombing. Their expression was one that of annoyance instead of fright. They found both of us there, but ignored us with practised efficiency.


    They hurried out of the way, conversing between them about what transpired inside the pits, which left them all so annoyed. I wasn''t nearly proficient in themon tongue to make anything.


    Though I figured out, this kind of event wasn''t unheard of and wasn''t that rare either. Well, I was barely here for a month, and never noticed something like that. Then again, we never mined deeper like this before.


    "Should we go deeper to check on this?" I suggested.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Cameron shot me a look which asked if I was in the right state of mind. I shrugged, unable to me him. Even though we are adapting somehow, we were but infants in front of most native ves.


    Even though all of them lost their magic power, their bodies persisted on being sturdy and top-notch. Even the worst of them was better than most professional fighters.


    They could easily show us our ce if needed.


    Anyway, after a little more deliberation, we dedicated it wasn''t consequential to keep on working after this. We already met our quotas, no need to get into trouble just for some hand change, which wasn''t even enough to buy a good cup of beer.


    So we decided to leave with our trolleys. Life was as hard as it was being a ve. No need to borrow more.


    However, it seemed trouble had found its way to us before we could leave. We didn''t even cover half the distance as I sensed people moving from behind us.


    Cameron had an expression which said he wanted to exit with haste. However, I was more curious than ever and decided to peek behind.


    There were three people there, two carrying a wounded man as the guy squealed with nasty burns all over him. It was a near miracle that he was still alive with the much burns.


    However, what tipped me off more were the other two people. I knew both of them.


    "Gale," Cameron called, sensing him slowing down. "Don''t. . ."


    "It''s Imani and Dele," I said as I hurried in their direction, leaving behind my trolley and Cameron.


    The two veteran earthlings tensed, finding someone rushing at them, but noticing it was me, they rxed a bit.


    "What happened?" I asked the moment I got there, my eyes scanning the fellow on their back.


    "The usual," Imani said, her voice hard. "Though most of the time, ves don''t survive."


    I frowned. The burned man was still squealing, awake and in pain with red blood, skin, and muscle fibres melted all over. His hair was no more and his face was more disfigured than ever, too hard for me to recognise, even if I knew this person.


    However, it was pretty easy to guess with his hard build that this person wasn''t an earthling.


    ____________


    Shameless Plug: New book.


    Apotheosis Online: Dawn of the Virtuous Sinner


    Author''s Comment: A more serious book than Aimless Ascension, but still with the charm of AA. Writing quality will be top-notch, to the best (almost) of my abilities.


    Read the short synopsis below.

 Chapter 155 152 Enlightenment (5)

    Turns out mining wasn''t safebour. To put salt in our misery, the crystals we collected were quite vtile¡ªthey explode into molten mes under great stress.


    They tend to explode in an eruption of fiery bombardment now and then under greater stress during mining. Obviously, the urrence of the eruption happened was quite slim on the rtively open side of the mine.


    However, the deeper you went into the fiery pits, the more vtile the crystals there were. It needed very delicate hands to work with them without setting them off. Even a single picking of pickaxe at the wrong spot could set off a single crystal, which would set off dozens of them in near proximity, causing wreckage no worse than chained dynamite, destroying everything in their way.


    The only constion about this whole thing was that those crystals were worth a lot more than what I was collecting.


    Imani gave me one single fist-sized crystal from the deep fiery pit to pay a day''s worth of my quota. Evidently, it''s worth way more than that.


    Supposedly, all these crystals were known as fire crystals, some low in resonance¡ªwhich I and Cameron were mining, whereas the ones with higher resonance were what Imani and the others were mining.


    The higher the resonance, the greater the worth, as well as the chance of erupting into sted molten mes.


    Most ves never survive such an ordeal. If they were in proximity to the eruption, they would be dead.


    However, the person with those horrifying scars wasn''t a normal person. I hadn''t recognised him at first, but after discussing a little with Imani and Dele, we found out this guy was the guy who beat four guards single-handedly, even when he was strapped with the ve cor.


    The A''caen.


    Supposedly, he wasn''t the only casualty. There were half a dozen other ves in close distance. Unfortunately, none of them made it.


    "They were already charred charcoal," said Dele as we rushed to bring the wounded person to somewhere he could be helped. "A''caen would have been fine if only he thought for a second and get back without ying the hero."


    I raised an eyebrow at thatment, however, Dele didn''t exin it anymore. From his tone, I understood Dele held a great deal of respect for A''caen, for whatever reason there was.


    Well, I didn''t even know the guy, yet I felt respect for him when I saw him beating the four guards.


    Unfortunately, it seemed his luck had finally run out.


    I didn''t know how a person of his calibre ended up in the ves, but he still wasn''t enough to do anything about it. He was still enved and now damned for eternity.


    I cursed inwardly. No matter how much I got used to this cursed ce, it always surprised me with something new, something menacing, throwing me into the pits of depression and inevitable misery.


    Dele and Imani carried A''caen hurriedly through the Collection Spot to the dwellings under the watchful gazes of the guards. They looked mostly bored, sticking to their position, no attempts to help the wounded person.


    Well, A''caen or some great lord, it was nothing to them. To them, he was nothing but a ve and I figured plenty of them would be d to find his demise.


    However, some of the ves weren''t the same. Although they hadn''te to help, but they had a horrified look in their eyes. Well, there wasn''t much any of them could do to heal.


    They weren''t a magical healer like that angel, only the cursed gods know where she was hiding now.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Anyway, these ves had seen their share of tragedies, most tragedies in the mine couldn''t phase them, but the charred man horrified a good few of them.


    There were a few familiar figures present in the collection spot, probably because of the loud explosion. The hateful fellows in charge ofshing ves, and guards, and many others I recognised through their faces were there, but my eyes were on the earthling that managed to stand out among them.


    Joseph, the earthling guard, was never present most of the time, as his duty was probably somewhere else. However, today, he was here. He was staring at the figures of Dele and Imani carrying away the wounded man with all his focus. I saw fire in his eyes, a deep seethed anger that couldn''t be exined by words.


    The events progressed usually after they left with A''caen.


    I and Cameron were just leaving after dropping our collection when Joseph stopped us. His expression was unreadable as he looked at us with unbridled superiority.


    "You two," he said, not worried whether we were listening to him or not. "Your quota has been raised by one-third."


    "What?" A low yell escaped from my lips before I could even understand him.


    Joseph lifted an eyebrow to look at me. "Your quota has been raised by one-third," he repeated, furious eyes boring on me as if telling to challenge me, and I''ll raise it another notch.


    I cursed inwardly and did what most smart people would do. Suck it up.


    Unfortunately, Joseph wasn''t even finished. "And it will be raised by one-third every fortnight from now on," he said as the weight of the world fell on my back.


    Joseph left after wishing us good luck. Nah, I''m kidding. The fellow acted like a total dick, which he was, and a monumental one at that. We''ll get thereter.


    "Son of a bitch," I and Cameron cursed in unison and left for our dwellings with our shoulders sagged.


    ***


    Later that night, someone knocked on my door, and it wasn''t the familiar rhythm I and Cameron established tomunicate.


    I was still trying to meditate at that time, but the constant knock on the door didn''t let me continue finding inner peace.


    "Who''s it?" I yelled, my voice containing irritation.


    "It''s me," said a manly voice with a thick ent.


    "Yeah, thatpletely exined everything," I snorted. "So what''re ya doin'' knocking on my door, Me?"


    The person groaned on the other side of the door. "It''s Dele," he said atst. "Open up, I''m in a hurry."

 Chapter 156 153 Enlightenment (6)

    I carried my tired body to open the door and found the guy waiting with an irritated look on his face.


    Well, Dele always seemed to be in some inner conflict when dealing with me.


    "What''s this about?" I asked, without inviting him in, equally irritated. Well, the cause of my irritation was different. I was going nowhere with my meditation session, which made me rethink the whole thing.


    Perhaps I should start in the early hours before the horn re, but it was so hard to wake up before the repulsive horn when I was so tired after the day''s work. I barely managed a handful of times in thest two weeks.


    "Come with me," Dele said and walked away as if I would follow him just at his word.


    He moved a few steps until he found nobody was following. Dele turned, and the irritation intensified in his eyes.


    "What is this about?" I repeated the question, not hiding the irritation from my voice. Whatever you say, Dele didn''t have themanding charm that Imani possessed, which is why he was always the sidekick.


    "Someone wants to meet you," Dele answered after some thought.


    "Someone?" I asked. "Who?"


    Dele looked like someone who would like to hit someone. I yed cool, standing just as unconcerned, even though I knew pretty well who would win in a brawl between us two.


    Despite his shorter exterior, Dele had more experience dealing with this kind of thing than me, not to mention his body adapted well to the higher gravity as he could mine deeper into the fiery pits. He could practically beat down half a dozen of me in fistfights.


    "A''caen," Dele answered the question atst, understanding I wouldn''t dance to his tune just because he asked.


    "Are you sure?" I asked as a frown crept into my brows. Is A''caen even in the right state to meet anyone? Last I checked, he was burned terribly, and that was barely a few hours ago. And even if he did, why bother meeting a lowlife ve like myself?


    There was only one thing that I possess that could interest them. No, it wasn''t my irresistible charm.


    Unconsciously, I clutched my right wrist. Dele noticed my anxiety easily.


    "Are youing?" the veteran ve asked.


    I hummed something which could be termed as an agreement.


    So we went deeper into the already mined region. I already got there a couple of times to meet the doctor, as for the other times Elea put me through those ruthless therapies in her dwellings.


    We got through the entrance of the secret hideout, and both of us exchanged brief words through the walk. Dele led me on a familiar path towards the doctor''s dwellings, though we had to carry on a little further to find a closed room.


    The door was carved out of stone with bits of gibberish written on it that I could hardly understand.


    Dele knocked, and it took about a minute to get a response from the other side of the door. After a while, it opened up as I found Imani facing us. I peeked into the room behind her to find a few more figures, the elderly doctor and his assistant along with their patient, the A''caen.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That reminded me, I''m pretty sure the name A''caen is a title of some regard, though wasn''t sure what it meant.


    Imani invited us in as we all stood circling around theid figure of the burned man. He was bandaged with clothes all over while the dim glint in his eyes peered in our direction.


    He said something in his gibberishnguage as all the others in the room turned to Imani.


    "He wants everyone to leave us for some time," Imani said with a sigh.


    Everyone other than her exchanged a look and was ready to leave. I joined them too, even though I was sure I wasn''t in the everyone she mentioned.


    "Not you," Imani told him as I halted rigidly.


    I''m not going to lie. I was terribly nervous about this whole meeting. Of course, I learned to function properly with my anxiety long ago. But it was always unnerving to talk with the illustrious and famous A''caen, who seemed to hold some great ce in the heart of many.


    I wonder what her connection is to Imani and the others. He wasn''t an earthling for sure, but he had free ess to everything this little hideout had to offer. I had some suspicions, but wasn''t particrly sure.


    Imani closed the huge stone door after them and came back to stand between me and A''caen. She wasn''t included among everyone either. Well, she was probably here to act as the mediator between us.


    As I remained standing a little awkwardly, those two conversed between them. Basically, A''caen asked stuff in a soft voice and Imani answered them to him. Both of them looked in my direction more than a couple of times for me to reach a new height of concern.


    I wish Cameron was with me. Of course, the former ountant couldn''t do anything that I couldn''t, but a friend''s presence would have given me much courage to deal with this.


    But my worry was for nothing as they kept on talking between themselves, leaving me to tap my foot on the rocky ground repeatedly.


    I wondered why he asked for my presence when he wasn''t even asking me anything. They could''ve talked between themselves about me behind my back.


    It took about five minutes for them to finally address me.


    "Show him the mark," Imani said, her voicemanding.


    I blinked and turned to face A''caen. Even in his powerless state, he looked intimidating somehow. Like a wounded beast, would lunge at you at the minute disturbance.


    His clear blue eyes bore onto me as I hesitated. This wouldn''t end up into something bad for me, right?


    "Gale," Imani called, "show him the mark."


    ______


    Check out the new book: Apotheosis Online

 Chapter 157 154 Enlightenment (7)

    "Gale," Imani called, "show him the mark."


    "Yes." I got out of my trance and uncovered my left wrist, getting closer to the resting figure. I held it closer to his eyesight.


    A''caen squinted to see as Imani brought a magicalmp to help. I held my hand like that until he was satisfied with his scrutiny.


    Then they started discussing between themselves again.


    Finally, I couldn''t take it anymore and butt into their conversation.


    "What''s he saying?" I asked Imani, who seemed to understand the native tongue of this realm pretty well. Well, better than me for sure.


    Instead of answering my question, she asked a question of her own. "Has there been any change in your wrist?"


    I shook my head. "Nothing other than it healing up."


    Imani squinted her eyes and delivered the answer to A''caen.


    "What is he saying?" I repeated my question. I really didn''t want them to get back to their discussion without me again.


    Imani exchanged a look and got confirmation from A''caen. She sighed and opened up about what they were discussing.


    "He believes that to be a fate mark," Imani said, "even though Uncle Philips said otherwise."


    My mind churned in excitement as I heard her. Of course, I barely understood the term, but it did sound cool.


    "Okay," I said, putting a check on my excitement. "What does that mean, exactly?"


    Imani looked at me carefully, as if wondering whether she should impart the knowledge or not.


    "Jah ho," A''caen urged her.


    I didn''t know much about the native tongue, but I understood that much. I meant "to continue" or "do it".


    "As the name suggests," Imani said in a neutral voice, "you have been marked by fate. To your death, that mark will be with you. In normal circumstances, it would have given you an edge over others in cultivating magical power, however, under the circumstances, we were now, not so much. Truth be told, you shouldn''t hold too much hope."


    I frowned. Not going to argue about hope, but I have other questions of my own. "Is there any specific reason I got this mark to his understanding?"


    Imani worked as the mediator to deliver my thoughts across to A''caen. The burned man answered the question as Imani delivered it back to me.


    "There could be various reasons," she said. "Fusion of Fate locks is the most prominent, but he''s absolutely sure you haven''t fused with one. The other reasons were more ambiguous. For example, some special people are born with such marks, some at birth, some manifested inter years. Some divine manifestations could be the cause of this too, or getting in contact with something of higher dimension.


    "As you''re off earth and had no special circumstances, he feared you''re not of thetter case either."


    "Then what?" I asked.


    "He wasn''t sure," Imani answered. "There are too many mysteries about fate marks and fate locks to give an absolutely certain answer."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Maybe a dumb question," I asked, easing my frown. "What are fate locks again?"


    Imani turned to A''caen, unsure of what answer to give me. She got the answer and delivered it to me in one sentence. "Magical tools that enable you to have magical power."


    "Like how Joseph can draw fire out of thin air?"


    "Exactly," Imani said.


    The frown returned to my brows. "So he mentioned this isn''t a fate mark from a fate lock," I asked. "Does that mean it won''t give any magical property?"


    "It certainly will do something," Imani tranted, "but it can be something highly useless, or something you''ll never be able to release."


    "Why?" As I asked, I understood the answer. The ve cor. But I appreciated her long exnation she delivered.


    "No matter, fate lock, fate marks or other magical properties, all need an energy source to act. Vital energy is the lifeblood of Fatebearer. Without it, nothing will work. And with this ve cor strapped to your neck, you''ll never be able to release even a wisp of vital energy, even if you have them."


    I begged to differ, but I wasn''t sure if it was the right time to drop the information about that mysterious girl who healed me. For all that mattered, they would probably think I''m just spouting nonsense or already lost it, as I''m pretty sure even with all their resources they won''t be able to find her unless she decided to open herself to their scrutiny.


    "What''s a fatebearer?" I asked.


    "Someone who''s marked by fate."


    "So, essentially, someone like me?" I pointed towards myself.


    Imani exchanged a look with A''caen and pursed her lips. She or the A''cean didn''t consider me as one.


    I swallowed my breath and thought about it. I practically have nothing to consider myself as a magical fatebearer. I did have the fate mark, but I have no idea how I got it. Maybe due to the intervention of some higher power.


    Anyway, the important thing right now was understanding why the A''caen called me here. I was sure it wasn''t just for some discussion. And the other important thing was. . .


    I stopped my thought process and focused on the burned man. He was a capable man and had been a magic practitioner. A powerful one at that. The ve cor left him powerless to use his vital energy again, however, he should have his knowledge about that stuff intact.


    He should be able to answer my question, right?


    "I have a question of my own," I asked, trying my luck. Finding them not rejecting, I continued: "How do I find inner peace?"


    Imani looked at me with concern, while A''caen was wrapped in bandages for me to notice anything.


    "Why?" Imani asked, furrowing her brows.


    "Um, because I''m worried about my mental state?" I tried to give some answers. "Because I don''t want to go insane?"


    Imani narrowed her eyes and turned to A''caen who said something in hisnguage. Imani blinked at his words and turned to me again.


    "Are you trying to find ways to cultivate vital energy?"

 Chapter 158 155 Enlightenment (8)

    "Are you trying to find ways to cultivate vital energy?"


    "Um, no?"


    Both of them gave me an incredulous look at my terrible lie. Even A''caen, who couldn''t understand English, chuckled softly.


    "You know this isn''t possible, right?" Imani asked with concern. "Do you think none of us have tried? Yes, I felt the energy coursed through my being in the six years I was here, but I never managed to do anything about it. The ve cor won''t let you. It will torment you until you decide to give up on it or lose your sanity."


    I frowned, considering her words. I chose the next words very carefully. Thankfully, I didn''t have to say anything to her, as A''caen decided to open his mouth at that right moment.


    I didn''t know what he said, but it caused Imani to frown. She heaved a breath and questioned me. "How did you meditate?"


    I took a deep breath, spouting out everything truthfully. "I sit cross-legged and practise heavy breathing," I said. "Inhale with nose and exhale with the mouse. I keep at it until I can''t do it anymore. I know we weren''t supposed to think about stuff and empty our minds, but most of the time, I found myself pulled into an array of hopeless thoughts."


    Imani tranted it to A''caen. She then tranted back what A''caen replied: "That''s what you''re doing wrong. Meditation is about focusing on one thing. If you can''t empty your mind of those hopeless thoughts, oblige them and try to resolve them as much as you can. Try to focus on your breathing. Do one thing at a time and focus on that. Also, you have to do it regrly, keep at it for a prolonged period and you''ll feel it.


    "But I must warn you, you won''t like what that would bring."


    It felt like Imani added thest part on her own. But I thanked both of them, nheless. They seemedpletely sure I would find it. Well, Imani did, not sure how long it took her.


    "In case you''re wondering," Imani said on her own. "My physicality hadn''t changed just because I could feel vital energy. There are other things in y which aren''t possible for most people, that include you as well."


    That seemed a bit too suspicious.


    I frowned, unsure of what she just mentioned. I was about to challenge her statement, but with one look on her face, I knew it wasn''t my ce to question her. Not about that, at least.


    "Anyway, that left us to discuss with only one more thing," Imani said and turned to A''caen, who nodded to her. "A''caen here believes the mark in your hand to be an iplete fate mark. Also, he believes it would have been aplete fate mark under normal circumstances. However, with the cor restricting vital energy to coalesce into your body, it remained as the thin spiral line."


    Imani paused and examined my expression, trying to read my reaction. She turned to give A''caen a look.


    "Jah ho," A''caen told her.


    "However, we canplete the fate mark by feeding more vital energy," Imani said slowly. "It might give you some magical power."


    I remained silent for several seconds as the two people continued to stare at me. So they n to use the elderly doctor to feed the mark with his vital energy.


    "Okay, I have two questions," I said. Getting their approval, I asked, "First, do you need my consent to feed the mark with vital energy?"


    "No," Imani said. She didn''t need A''caen''s words to answer my question. "We can do it without your permission, but we won''t do it, no matter what A''caen believes."


    I sighed in relief inwardly.


    "Second question," I said, "you mentioned that the ve cor on any struggle would be rendered to nothing. Fate locks or fate marks, nothing would matter. Then what''s the point ofpleting the fate mark?"


    This time, Imani had to turn to A''caen for the answer. She discussed about it to the burned man, but he got no sure answer for it either.


    Atst, Imani sighed.


    "There''s only one thing still left for us to cling onto," she said. "Hope."


    "Hope," I repeated as Imani bit her lips.


    I stared at them for an unknown amount of time as things became clearer in my mind.


    There was no overarching n.


    They were not nning anything behind my back. There was no overarching n they were working to free themselves from very.


    The only thing they left to cling onto was hope.


    Hope.


    Hope. I sucked in a deep breath. They were hoping some miracle would happen, even though their mind was telling them it was literally impossible.


    Hope. I surely hated the sound of that.


    "Fine, let''s do it," I said.


    Imani didn''t lunge in delight as you''d hope for, because she knew there was a slim chance of anythinging out of this endeavour. Besides, she had always been the most pragmatic one of us.


    "Are you sure about that?" Imani asked, just to be sure.


    "Yeah," I said casually, "what worse could it do other than kill your hope?"


    "It could kill you," Imani reminded. "Although A''caen is credible in most of his things, he tends to be wrong. And when he''s wrong, the results are always terrible."<novelnext></novelnext>


    I rephrased my line. "What else could it do other than kill me?"


    Imani inspected my face for "You''re mad."


    "Better than living with no hope, I guess," I said.


    Anyway, I considered myself quite sane, more than one of my neighbours to be sure.


    "Anyway, should we start now?" I asked.


    Imani turned to A''caen for confirmation. After getting that, she scurried to the door. "I''ll call the others."


    A couple of minutester, everyone was in position. I was in the middle with Uncle Phillips, while the others circling us. Other than A''caen, everyone was standing with a contemtive look on their faces.


    "Okay, the anticipation is killing me," I said, breaking the silence. "Let''s finish this quickly. I have to sleep."


    "Gale, are you sure?" Elea opened her mouth for the first time, evident worry in her tone.


    "No, but what does that matter?" I said, "Do it now before I change my mind."


    Imani gestured to the doctor to proceed with feeding my left palm with his vital energy. The elderly doctor was ready to do it when A''caen cut in.


    Everyone''s attention transferred from my hand to the wounded man, though most of them couldn''t understand much of what he said.


    Imani frowned slightly as she heard him. Nevertheless, she directed his words to the doctor. "He wants you to pour energy through his meridians first, rather than continuing the process."


    Uncle Phillips furrowed his brows. "What would that aplish?"


    It wasn''t just the doctor who was interested in the answer.


    Imani answered on her own. "It will help Gale in getting the enlightenment he needs to differentiate spirit energy from the environment."


    My eyes widened as I heard her. Didn''t she? Wasn''t she just solving my issue with meditation?


    "Basically, it was a cheat to get kids started with cycling energy when they weren''t ready," Imani told me. "There aren''t any side effects to this, so you can just enjoy the sensation."


    "Thank you," I told her, and then repeated it to the doctor and A''caen.


    "Close your eyes," Imani reminded me as the doctor clutched my palm. "Focus on the tendrils of energy he''s pushing into your system. Focus only on that, and forget about everything else."


    I did. It was totally easy to feel the energy rushing into my system. Even though it was barely a little, I could feel the warmth it provided drifting slowly. I could easily have got lost in it.


    And that''s what I did. It felt like swimming in the clouds, as in my mind''s eye I could see something like bits of ck mist drifting slowly.


    I have been trying this for over a couple of weeks, never even managing to calm myselfpletely, yet here I was. . .


    I don''t know how long I stayed like that, or how I got pulled back, but when I got back to reality, I found the doctor in a cold sweat, not just from the heat. It seemed using vital energy was quite taxing to the human body.


    Anyway, I got what I needed, though I wasn''t sure if I would be able to find this vibe again.


    "When you''re lost in a meditative state, Uncle Phillips fed the mark with his energy," Imani told me.


    I raised an eyebrow and eyed the mark in my palm. It certainly hadn''t changed much, even after the man fed it all his energy.


    "It would take a few more days to even see a little change," Imani told him. "And in that time, you probably will be used to the meditative state. But I must remind you again, don''t try to cycle the energy, not when you''re not prepared for it."


    I didn''t understand half the word she said in thetter part, but I nodded, feeling good about myself. There was something about that meditative state. I felt energised somehow. Obviously, it won''t remain for much longer. I could already feel it drifting away.


    "We''ll do it every second day as Uncle Phillip needs time to recover his energy as well."


    I nodded like a woodpecker, totally agreeing with her.


    ***


    Later that night, I dreamed of the wingless angel again. Like the other time, she came to my room, though this time she didn''t leave like the other time.


    Instead, she woke me up.


    "Perhaps it was all a mistake," her voice drifted softly to my ears, "but I can''t just pull back after giving someone hope."


    ________________


    Cliffhanger. Muhahahaha!

 Chapter 159 156 Offensive Arts (1)

    "Today is the day you''ll learn real spirit art," Gale told his disciple, walking in a circle around Xiaolin who was sitting in the middle of the field. "Of course, you have learned a thing or two, but they were the basics of cycling arts. Now, I''ll teach you how to put those arts into action.


    "There are two main things I''ll teach you to defeat Han Xiao and you''ll practise them the whole year."


    In other words, Gale would make her a two-trick pony. Well, considering how both of the two tricks work in a single attack, it would be better to say a one-trick pony.


    "Sadly, your condition left you unable to practise one of the other art efficiently, so we''ll leave that until you advance.


    Xiaolin nodded her head in understanding. She was full with Qi. She was a bit disappointed, knowing all of it would empty her system within a quarter of an hour of practice. But she was excited nheless.


    For the past week, she barely done any work, other than going back to her routine. She also had to amuse her master as he came up with different kinds of problems for her to solve, sometimes, he implied them into her training, while most of the other time it was puzzles or mathematics, that he would ask her to do as she cycles.


    She had done pretty well with the puzzles, but not so with the maths. Well, considering how she was never even introduced to any of that before, it was simply an unasked quality of hers.


    In her master''s words, she was worse than a middle schooler. She guessed it was a criticism, but Xialin was fine with it as long as her master didn''t imprison her like those middle schoolers. They had to do maths in school all day.


    Although, she thought all of that to be a metaphor, her Master seemed to hold no love for the ce called "School",paring it to a prison was already a red g.


    Well, considering how tough those mathematics were, School did seem no worse than imprisonment.


    "You have learned imbuing Qi to arrow and other weapons," Gale continued, "but today we will carry it to the next level. Today you''ll learn to attack with simple qi."


    Saying that, Gale brought a few target practises out of his void lock. Basically, painted round wood target tied with thin ropes on a long strand. There were over a dozen of targets swinging on the stand, intertwined together.


    Gale put it at a respectful distance from her, considering her level and let the wind sway the wooden targets.


    "These were made out of ironwood, so if you can make a hole in them that means you''ll be able to do the same to any normal iron ranker."


    "But master," Xiaolin asked, evident anxiety in her voice, "I''m not even a copper ranker, how can you expect me to do something like that to an iron ranker?"


    "People are more fragile than you think," Gale answered. "Even a normal human can skill a standard iron ranker with a good strike to the heart. Of course, he''ll be dead a dozen times over on most asions, but you got my point. Today, you''ll start learning a trick that wouldn''t lose out to a clear strike to the heart. And the best part is you can do it from a distance."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Most people had this wrong impression about spirit arts that they would only grow stronger as you rank up, but that wasn''t entirely the story. There was just too much stuff out there that a practitioner could learn and grow.


    It was simply impossible to learn everything, but what a man could do best it mastered a few of them to a tremendous level.  Most people didn''t even stop to consider that, they simply felt ranking up was that way.


    One simply didn''t practice reaching the peak of the spirit arts of that realm before advancing to the next realm. Which, in retrospect, makes everything difficult for the practitioner. It narrowed their path of ranking up. After they hit Gold, there was no room for ranking up.


    "Concentrating Qi is a trick we learn all our lives," Gale continued. "No matter the rank of the practitioner, he had to learn Concentration of Qi, simply because, normal Qi could barely harm anyone. Think of it like an arrow, concentration is like pulling a string. The more you pull, the faster your attack will be. Concentrated Qi is like that too."


    Actually, there were two basic things to offensive arts, Concentration and Stacking. Both of them needed to be put in harmony to make the offensive art more violent. One simply can make an attack a hundred times fiercer, using the same amount of Qi.


    Gale started with Concentration, as Linlin didn''t have much Qi to work with stacking currently.


    Gale exined for a few more minutes what he was about to teach her and then went on to the theory.


    He was about to start, but instead, he cursed inwardly, forgetting to warn her about the harm of this spirit art.


    "As you know Qi application works through visualisation," Gale said, slower than usual, so that his disciple could listen to it fully. "In Concentrating, we simply divide parts of our mind to visualise the same exact image. Are you getting it?"


    A cute frown had formed on Xiaolin''s brows as she considered everything. "I understood that, but how do we divide part of our mind?"


    "That''s the tricky part of it. Beware, Disciple, you can break your mind overestimating yourself. At your current mental strength, anything over 6 splits would be tempting fate, so you aren''t allowed to go further than that."


    "But Master, I don''t even know how to divide my mind." Xiaolin had an incredulous look on her face, unsure if it was even possible.


    Gale grinned mischievously. "Good news for you, my dear disciple, you already know how to divide your mind into two parts."


    Xiaolin arched her eyebrows.


    "Why do you think I kept you doing all these multitasking exercises?" Gale asked, smirking as if he had yed a great role as her master. "Even though most of them don''t involve Qi, it is the initial training splitting your mind to multitask stuff."

 Chapter 160 157 Offensive Arts (2)

    "Even though most of them don''t involve Qi, it is the initial training splitting your mind to multitask stuff."


    Xiaolin blinked. Even though she knew it was for her own good, she felt cheated somehow.


    For about a whole week, Gale had made her do irrelevant errands, solving all sorts of puzzles and maths. She thought most of them to amuse themselves. Gale finally gave her the green light to practise Qi through physical arts after her injury, but he would always put her through all sorts of problems when she was cycling Qi at her normal speed.


    "Of course, you''re barely a beginner in this," Gale reminded her. "So, now I''ll teach you how to do it through visualising Qi. . ."


    The theory behind it was simple. Visualise the first image in your head and concentrate on itpletely. Get used to it for a few minutes, not hurry. Impatience is the first enemy of spirit arts. Just keep at it until you''re at peace with it.


    "Since we''re doing target practice, visualise a small projectile. With about one sixteenth of your Qi.


    Xiaolin nodded and closed her eyes, raising her palms in the air. Wisps of Qi flow out of her arms shortly, coalescing together to form the abstract shape of an arrowhead.


    "Keep at it, you''re doing good," Gale said. "I can see you''re impatient. Lose that vibe, concentrate on that projectile only."


    A couple of minutester, Gale was satisfied with what Xiaolin came with the projectile. Although there were improvements that could be made there, he felt it was excellent for the first try.


    He gave her the next impression. "Alright, now that you''re calmer, open your eyes," Gale told her.


    Xiaolin opened her eyes and inspected the transparent arrowhead between her palms.


    "Now, imagine the whole thing again, but the same image," Gale said.


    However, Xiaolin simply looked at him with her wide round eyes, as if lost her tongue.


    "Don''t think, do it," Gale urged her.


    It wasn''t asplicated as people think. Well, splitting into two images was easy. It became when the numbers shot higher into tens.


    "No, don''t create a second projectile," Gale told her, finding wisps of Qi emerging from her fingers to form another arrowhead. "Work with what you have in that projectile. More Qi always doesn''t equal to more power."


    "But. . . but," Xiaolin grew anxious. "I can''t. It will destroy the other image."


    "Now it will not. Work with the two images on top of one another. Make it an exact copy. When you''re done, fuse the two images together."


    Xiaolin worked with his instruction, though the signs of anxiety never left her face. Gale sensed thin tendrils of Qi, diving into twoyers, then joining back in a more substantial form.


    It worked, but the projectile was tremendously unstable. It would burst between her arms if her anxiety grew even a little more.


    With a thought, Gale protected her, throwing a few strands of his Qi around her.


    "Focus," Gale said. The problem was she was that the two images weren''t nearly a copy of one another. And when she tried to fuse them together, the imperfect copy fumbled with the original image, making the whole thing unstable.


    Of course, a little instability was good in Qi projectiles, as it would burst with more piercing power, but not to this degree. It would simply burst like a tiny bomb at this rate, losing most of its piercing power.


    "Master," Xiaolin called.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Although she was about to ask for more, she just rushed her projectile to attack in her anxiety. She was intuitively aware it would burst within her hands in the next moment.


    The projectile shot into motion towards the target. Unfortunately, it easily missed the target, as Xiaolin simply shot the projectile to get rid of it, not to hit the target. It burst in the middle of the targets, bursting into a pop of Qi.


    Xiaolin sucked in a deep breath, looking at the pop she created.


    "I failed," she grumbled.


    ? "You did," Gale told her. "But your first attempt is better than most people."


    Well, most people are ipetent, but the point was that, most practitioners weren''t taught Concentration arts before they hit Silver Ranker, simply because of the threat of causing damage to the mind.


    The Silver advancement put the mind through a qualitative change, improving it to some degree, decreasing the danger of practising this art.


    But Gale wouldn''t mention that to his disciple, considering she might get distraught, thinking it was impossible for her.


    In honesty, Xiaolin did better than Gale hoped for her toe up with. Well, her mental fortitude helped. She just needed hours and days of practice to master this. Of course, he won''t let her split into more parts, simply because she seeded in splitting it into two.


    There was a structural way to this. Master two, and then do three. And so on.


    Xiaolin didn''t stay dismayed for longer. She breathed evenly to shove aside her distress.


    "Master, show me how you do it," Xiaolin asked of him.


    "Okay, I''ll do it slowly for you to examine it," Gale was easy to agree, "Watch it closely."


    Gale pulled some diluted energy from the air to make his projectile visible to the naked eye. He formed an even thinner projectile than her.


    "This is just the first image," Gale said and urged his mind to concentrate on it. He simply thought of a second image as his projectile grew smaller.


    "Master, it grew smaller," Xiaolin almost shouted.


    "That''s the art behind it," Gale said. "I''m not drawing more, Qi, but making it more substantial."


    Xiaolin nodded in understanding. "Master, how many images can you split your mind into?"


    "Well, my highest had been in the 80s, but that''s hard to do in normal circumstances," Gale said. "Most of your opponents won''t give you time to concentrate your Qi. Most of the time, I''m ready with 16 and can make it double with a thought."


    Xiaolin swallowed a breath.


    "Sixteen is already enough to deal with most iron rankers," Gale told her as he split his mind to concentrate on it sixteen times.


    And then he shot.

 Chapter 161 158 Offensive Arts (3)

    The needle pulsed with momentum, shooting through the air to pierce the ironwood target right in the middle. It went straight through the target, creating a finger-sized hole in the ironwood.


    Xiaolin swallowed her breath. That''s a sixteen-split Qi needle. That was the number she had to reach to defeat Han Xiao. Well, her master said, sixteen is enough to defeat most iron rankers, even the elites. And Han Xiao didn''t make the list in his opinion.


    That was a great thing for her to hear, but the fact remained: she was still miles away from that number.


    "Do you want me to show this a few more times?" Gale asked.


    Xiaolin did her best impression of a woodpecker.


    Gale obliged her by showing everything from start to finish a few times. He dissected the whole art into parts and spoon-fed everything to her. Even with that, many take months of practice to get a hold of the 2 splits.


    Thankfully, his disciple would probably seed at least once or twice before her Qi ran out. She had fifteen tries left.


    Gale took his stand behind her, leaving his Disciple to do the work. Xiaolin carried on with his instructions, getting used to the split first and then the shooting.


    This time, her aim had been better, though it burst before it could hit the target. Like all aspiring Fatebearer, impatience killed her efforts.


    Xiaolin grunted in disappointment as she proceeded with her third try. And then the fourth, fifth, and sixth. She failed by a nick on each of the asions.


    Her problem had been the fusing part. She became impatient, finding her copy wasn''t exactly perfect. Both of those together made the projectile more unstable as it popped before it could hit the target.


    Gale gave her words of encouragement, and advice about everything she failed as Xiaolin continued.


    Atst, she finally seeded on her ninth try.


    Xiaolin lunged in the air, as her projectile hit the target. Although it hadn''t managed to pierce it in any way, she had enough reason to celebrate.


    It was her first step to fundamental offensive arts. The first step to greatness.


    Gale had been no better in his first time. Saarya hit him with a stick at that time, though the reason was probably different. He embraced her in his celebration.


    "Master, master," Xiaolin shouted with the enthusiasm of a child, "look."


    She held the target wood to him, pointing at the slight dent she created on it.


    Although he could see it perfectly from where he was standing, he came forward to oblige her sess.


    "Good," Gale said and patted her head. Xiaolin pouted, but epted it like the good girl she was. She wouldn''t say no to her master''s touch. "Now do it like that ten thousand times, then we can move onto three splits."


    "Ten thousand," Xiaolin choked at his words as the world crashed into her. "Ten thousand," she repeated. "It will take me ages to do that."


    "More like three years," Gale corrected her. He had already done the calction. "But that is if you don''t improve even a little at that time."


    "Three years," Xiaolin whined. "But the fight is in one year."


    "That''s why I said if you didn''t improve, silly girl."


    "Still, it will take me months," Xiaolin said. "Master, can''t we just skip a few thousand of that number?"


    "Absolutely not," Gale said sternly.


    "But. . . But. . . I''ll barely be able to practise this about sixty tries, and I''ll fail in most of the tries."


    "That will teach you to concentrate better."


    "Master, why are you like this today?" Xiaolin lost all her spirit after hearing she had to do it ten thousand times sessfully to move on. That was still a staggering number, even if she could practise like a normal person. "Are you saying this just because you have to do the same?"


    "Possibly," Gale said, "but that''s not the end of it. Concentration ys a vital role in mostbat arts, and a good foundation is required to reach a high number of splits. You don''t know the dangers of Concentration. it was like climbing a mountain with a boulder on your back, any trip can crush youpletely. And I don''t have to tell you how hard it is to treat the mind, do I?


    Any wrong move at a high enough number could make any practitioner''s mind dull. That was why there were such protocols to teach this to the disciples.


    "But. . . Ten thousand times is too much. And do I have to do it at every number?"


    Gale nodded.


    Xiaolin just looked at him stupidly.


    "Unfortunately, Your Disciple, Xiaolin.exe has stopped.]


    Supposedly, in most sects and holy grounds of cultivation, the number was around a couple of thousands. That number wasn''t low per se, but it was just above average. Most of those who made the foundation with that number barely made it to thirty-two splits.


    However, to reach a higher number, even double it or more, one needed to put in more work. His study in this art left him with the golden number of ten thousand.


    If one practised ten thousand times sessfully at every new split, their foundation would be impable.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Honestly, this training is terribly exhaustive to the mind. Most practitioners hardly have the fortitude or will to practise it after they hit the nail on most asions.


    After arguing with Gale for several minutes to lower the number, Xiaolin finally understood her master wouldn''t lower the number.


    She could relent there, however, she wasn''t ready to give up without getting anything.


    "Fine, I''ll do it ten thousand times," she said, "but you have to let me practise with Pure crystals with all my might."


    It has been a week since Xiaolin recovered, but her master cut the time to half she could practise with pure crystal.


    Even though the ident increased her endurance, he kept the session to five minutes just for her safety.


    "Fine," Gale agreed to her plea easily. "Also, all your might doesn''t include overlooking your safety."


    Xiaolin felt cheated somehow. She first felt she was winning something big here, but since her master agreed to it so easily, she simply felt cheated.


    "Now,  continue."


    Within a quarter of an hour, Xiaolin was done with spending all her Qi. She felt all too empty inside. Her head hurt as if it was being crushed under great weight.


    She practised like this every day, spending all her Qi, but she never felt this bad. What''s with this training? She became even more depressed learning she would have to do it every day from now on.


    As Xiaolin wasmenting,ying t on lush green grass, Gale came next to her, holding a ss of drink.


    He held it closer to her eyesight, but Xiaolin had no power to drink it on her own.


    Gale helped her sit as she leaned against him, getting the chance.


    "Master, I can''t do it," Xiaolin almost tore up.


    "It will be easier once you hit copper," Gale said.


    "When?" she whined as Gale held the ss to her lips.


    Gale barely had any expertise in alchemy, but he could make some simple drinks, mixing different kinds of herbs. That reminded him he was almost finished with all the herbs he had with him.


    ''Do I need to order them in the guild?'' he mused. Gale couldn''t hope to find every ingredient he needed for different kinds of drinks. He stole everything from his master''s herb garden.


    This little town couldn''tpare to a grandmaster''s wealth, even though there were a few fields, specially cultivated herbs, around here.


    "I hate this drink," Xiaolin grumbled through her swallowing. But she liked drinking from her master''s hand. Not that she would ever admit it out loud.


    Even if she had some power left, she would always find an excuse to lie t on the ground to look dead, so her master would take care of her.


    Unfortunately, these days would end soon. She wouldn''t be able to lean on her master so tantly when the detestable maides to babysit her. She would be in the maid''s care and mercy.


    Xiaolin ended her thoughts to run wild and enjoyed her master''spany. She sniffed slightly, taking in his scent as she finished the drink.


    Gale had a frown on his brows as he stored the ss.


    "Master, what are you thinking?"


    "How to make your training easier," he admitted honestly. "I had three ns to diminish the fault of your constitution. We''re already trying the first way, and so far it''s working, albeit at a slower pace."


    Xiaolin frowned. She heard her master mention three ns, but didn''t know anything save for the one that involved pure crystals. She had some thoughts about that, but she wasn''t sure.


    "Master, what are the other two ways?"


    "You probably have guessed. The second way is to let you fuse with an easily removable Qi storage-type fate lock. I have been experimenting with it for some time. Almost perfected it, but I''m not sure if it was the right thing to fuse you with it."


    "Why?"


    "For starters, you''re not even a copper ranker," Gale said. "Plus, your constitution might reject the fate lock, which might leave you bedridden for months."


    Xiaolin swallowed, understanding the reason behind her master''s rejecting that idea.


    "What''s thest way?"


    "That''s. . ." Her master''s face grew odd. "It''s probably something I''ll regret if I make you do it."


    "What is it?" Xiaolin asked as an arch appeared on her brows.


    "It''s better if you don''t know about it. Practice. We''ll talk about it when you hit Copper."

 Chapter 162 159 Advancement (1)

    Xiaolin was finally ready for the hyperactive cycling session with pure crystal in the evening. She would be lying if she said she wasn''t excited about it.


    After her injuryst time, something changed in her body, rendering her more capable of cycling. Then again, Qi emitted out of her body quickly as well.


    However, that wasn''t the whole reason for her excitement. Since her injury, Xiaolin felt like she was missing something. Although her speed of cycling rose, she felt there was something missing which rendered her iplete.


    She could intuitively feel that she could only get hold of that feeling when she cycles with pure crystal when she touched over the edge again.


    However, that was not to be. Not under her master''s presence at the very least.


    Since her injury, Gale would always keep herpany during her hyperactive session with pure crystal.


    "Okay, you can begin now," Gale said, handing her the pure crystal b.


    Xiaolin took it and sat cross-legged in the middle of the cultivation chamber, the b of pure crystal in herp. She had absorbed more than a third of its contents already. Still, she didn''t know how much it cost.


    Xiaolin exhaled and inhaled deeply to calm her mind as she was about to start her cycling session. She was about to start when an idea came to her mind.


    "Master, wouldn''t it be faster to imagine more than one image of visualisation during cycling?"


    She learned Concentration today. Well, learn might be a greater word, more like introduced to. Anyway, imagining more than one visualisation could make one''s offensive art greater, didn''t that mean it would be the same during cycling?


    "It is," Gale answered, "but are you even capable of handling that much energy under the influence of pure crystals?"


    Like in Concentration, practitioners weren''t taught this before they hit silver, for the exact same reason. For all that mattered, it was more dangerous than concentration, which only affected the mind if the spell copsed.


    However, during the umtion of Qi, one''s body and mind were both at stake, any wrong move could render both of them in terrible consequences.


    "Continue as you usually do," her mastermanded.


    Xiaolin nodded and closed her eyes. She took in pure crystal aura in smoky tendrils as her mind grew excited, and blood started pumping air and energy at a rapid pace.


    She could easily feel the rich spirit energy surrounding her, even the crystallized forms stacked on the ground in form of spirit coins.


    Xiaolin touched a wisp of the surrounding energy, and an overwhelming amount of it rushed to her body and assaulted her core.


    Xiaolin sucked in a deep breath and started cycling.


    Within a couple of minutes, she was ridden with sweat, her sleeveless robe drenched in it. Her body grew hotter as she umted Qi.


    She needed only 5 minutes to be full after her body underwent the change since her injury. But she could feel she would go on for fifteen minutes easily. And another fifteen minutes gritting her teeth, clenching her jaw.


    That was her absolute limit.


    Of course, her control would be clumsy at that time, and the Qi she would umte in that time¡ªmost of them would emit out within an hour, leaving only a little more than her previous highest amount. That''s her umtion.


    That''s how she grew stronger. Each session like this increased her pool by 0.5 to 3% depending on how much she cycled. Thest time she got injured, her Qi pool had increased by a whopping 10%, though that resulted in the loss of ten days of cycling sessions as well.


    Xiaolin hit the five-minute mark pretty easily. She re-established her grasp over the energy and Qi again, as she would have to be more focused on the umtion now.


    She visualised all her Qi as a blob of a revolving sphere. She made the uncultivated energy revolve around that sphere as well, making it easier to control the whole thing.


    Before, her grasp over energy wasn''t as centralised as she was easygoing in her visualisation. But after Gale took her under his wing and taught her things like, Sun wasn''t revolving around their, but it was the centre of the gxy, she got the idea to change the way of her visualisation as well.


    Of course, she discussed it with her master and made sure she wasn''t doing anything wrong. In response, Gale encouraged her for the change, handing her a scroll on the theory of such visualisation.


    Since then her efficiency at turns forming uncultivated every to Qi had increased by a lot.


    Cycling was really a weird thing, it works with imaging anything if you do it wholeheartedly. Before she visualised a smallke with drifting mist, it was easygoing and peaceful. It certainly left her more at peace and kept her Qi more inside of her than outside, with the demerits of lower efficiency and control.


    Where her master imagined a ck sun during his cycling or even applying Qi to anything. A ck sun devouring everything at contact was the perfect bnce of chaos and order in her master''s word. He said it gave him higher firepower and control at the same time.


    Initially, control and power were more at odds with one another, but somehow he managed to bnce that out with that visualisation art.


    Xiaolin had to do it with her Revolving Sphere Visualisation art as well.


    Two minutes passed and Xiaolin finally felt the missing link again. Her mind whirled in awareness as she frowned, eyes still closed.


    Unconsciously, she quickened the pace at which she was absorbing the rich energy. Her skin started to swell shortly, but Xiaolin didn''t care as she grew closer to the thing she was missing.


    "Linlin," Gale asked, finding the change in her aura, "Are you alright?"


    "Yes," Xiaolin said, "I was just checking if I could go at a higher pace, or not. Turns out, I can."


    "Remember the talk I had with you?" Gale reminded her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Yes," Xiaolin said, clenching her teeth, "I won''t overestimate myself again."


    Clearly, she wasn''t overestimating herself. This much she could handle pretty easily. Her will was way more potent than before, and with her improved visualisation art, she could go even higher.


    Barp!


    Her sphere increased in size as Xiaolin grew closer to the element she was missing. She felt a fire rising in her abdomen as the swelling rose.


    It wasn''t nearly painful enough.


    Just a little bit more.


    Xiaolin ingested more pure crystal as the revolving sphere spun faster.


    ''Just a little more. I''m just missing a little.'' Xiaolin thought as she kept on increasing her cycling speed.


    "Xiaolin," Gale stood up from his seat, "what are you doing?"


    "Master, I can do it," Xiaolin replied, louder than she wanted her voice to be. "Just let me, a little more."


    "No," Gale said. "Stop it already, stop before you injure yourself again."


    "Master, I can handle it."


    Gale had the urge to stop her forcefully, but that had dangers of its own. Well, ten minutes haven''t passed yet, perhaps she could return safely before getting injured.


    However, reality turned into something he hadn''t hoped to see. Xiaolin kept on increasing the pace of her cycling as if chasing after some invisible target, jeopardising her safety. Again.


    "Master, I can do it," Xiaolin kept mumbling as her skin grew red. A whirlpool of smoky energy swirled around her, revolving and coursing into her as if they had their own mind.


    Gale was in a trance for a moment, but he pulled himself back, knowing he had to stop his disciple before she called another disaster on herself again.


    "Xiaolin, stop it. This is myst warning."


    But the girl was a long way off listening.


    Gale couldn''t watch it anymore and got involved, pulling herself out of her trance of cycling, hitting her mind with a sharp tendril of Aura. Not enough to shock her, but enough to awaken her.


    Xiaolin opened her eyes, blinking to find Gale before her.


    "Stop it," Gale told her.


    Xiaolin bit her lips, hesitating. She was so close, if only she could go on for a little longer. . .


    Eventually, she relented to her master''smand and nodded.


    Gale sighed in relief as his disciple agreed. However, a frown formed on his brows the next moment, finding no change in Xiaolin''s cycling.


    "Xiaolibn, I told you to stop cycling."


    "I''m trying," Xiaolin said, her voice growing anxious, "but. . . but. . . the energy. . . they won''t listen to me."


    "Strengthen your Intent," Gale advised, but his words were lost in a chaotic energy whirlwind.


    Their robes ttered against the rushing energy, swaying, as Xiaolin screamed out.


    "Master," Xiaolin bellowed. "I can''t. . .  I can''t control them."


    Gale didn''t have to get it from her as he could already imagine with the energy flowing at a chaotic pace.


    "Xiaolin, listen to me," Gale said, stooping next to her, his voice hard. "Hold on, don''t give in, or it might be even more disastrous for you. In the next moment, I''ll try to help you with my Qi. Don''t fight it, we''ll slowly decrease the pace of your cycling.


    "Also, don''t worry about the pain, I''ll take care of it."


    Gale released his second fate lock, Guardian Emblem and Protected Xiaolin of the pain.


    Immediately, a swelling triggered in Gale''s spirit almost making him lose control of his Qi.


    "What in the world!"


    _______________


    Finally, some progression. I nned to make this in the second volume, then again the first volume supposed to end by now.

 Chapter 163 160 Advancement (2)

    Gale''s Qi was lost in the whirlwind of energy, as his attempt to help bring stability to Xiaolin''s channels failed before he could even start.


    This was supposed to be impossible, but Gale had seemed impossible happening more than a handful of times. He pushed harder,ing with more of his Qi to stabilise her condition.


    He couldn''t just watch her groan in excruciating agony, as he Protected her with all his might, using his second fate lock. Even with that, he was barely sharing the pain with her, as he couldn''t absolutely take away everything.


    n was feeling the pain of her body breaking, and then it was transferring to Gale.  The fate lock needed a moment to take away the pain, and that moment was enough for Xiaolin to regret life.


    It hardly made the pain easier as it was constant, unrelenting agony, but it surely would leave her in a better state to endure everything.


    However, another problem appeared before Gale could take care of the ones already he was dealing with. When he tried to stabilise Xiaolin''s condition, it created more difficulties for her.


    As Gale tried to slow down the pace of her cycling through moving his Qi in reverse in her channels, strands of energy broke out of the sphere chaotically, distressing her stress even more.


    "Master, I can''t," Xiaolin said, "I''m burning."


    Gale was feeling that as well, not just his body, but even his spirit was boiling with swelling pain. Gale could easily shrug off the pain in his body, the swelling in his spirit was another story.


    Although his spirit was more potent than most people, it wasn''t invincible. Obviously, it wasn''t like the time when he got the scar, but it wasn''t just ufortable either.


    The swelling was burning the aura around his spirit as Gale''s mind grew worried. He could endure all this for hours toe, but not his disciple.


    Although her spirit was resolute, it waspared with average iron rankers. But the agony wasn''t something any average iron ranker could endure.


    Not for how long this would take, Gale feared.


    "Xiaolin, hold on," Gale said. He tried to shootbustion Qi to break the contracts in the wall and let the rich Qi out, but even with that, the surrounding whirlpool remained. No signs of stopping there.


    "I''m burning!" Xiaolin cried, embracing him tightly, tears dripped down her face.


    Gale couldn''t watch it anymore. "Hold on a second," he said and stood up, carrying Xiaolin in his embrace.


    He shot out of the room, almost like flying, and barged out of the house, bursting the door with his Qi. Gale flew towards the bathhouse at an rming rate, pulling everything he had.


    With Xiaolin in his embrace, Gale submerged into the water, still Protecting her from the pain and her body from breaking into a bloody mess. Through that, Gale divided a part of his intent to make the water colder, as cold as the contrast could make it.


    Within a few seconds, the temperature of the water decreased to an under-freezing point, but Gale kept on pushing further as the water seemed to vaporise around his disciple''s body.


    The change in atmosphere worked somewhat, though she wasn''t totally out of danger. Xiaolin had brought the whirlwind of energy with her, which led Gale to think things might be different from he thought.


    ''Perhaps, it wasn''t simply her losing control,'' Gale mused, watching every minute change in his disciple''s body as she clutched at him tightly. Her skin started to tear up already, and so did his, but his golden body was recovering it with the naked eyes, where Xiaolin was already stained in blood.


    Xiaolin kept on groaning in his embrace as tendrils of smoke swirled around them. Gale felt his heartache looking at her pained expression.


    But he couldn''t do anything about it.


    His only disciple, and he couldn''t even help her free of this disaster.


    Gale gritted his teeth and called for more power from his core. He pushed over every ounce of power in his control and tried to take control of the situation. He wasn''t a spirit doctor or healer per se, but even he could see he couldn''t do anything forcefully as the result would be more disastrous.


    And it seemed his disciple had the same thought, getting it intuitively.


    "Master, don''t," Xiaolin said, her eyelids closed tightly as her nails dug into his bag. With her thin frame, she was having a hard time clutching to him.


    "My stomach, it''s burning," Xiaolin said. That was the location of her core, the ce she envisioned to be her core of spirit arts. "The mark, I can see it. . . It''s changing me. . ."


    Gale momentarily paused and inspected her with his Qi sense. However, with the chaos coursing through her channels, his supernatural senses weren''t enough to make the job.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So Gale tried to lift her up from his embrace and check with more scrutiny. However, Xiaolin was stuck to his chest, unprepared to leave.


    "Linlin, let me see," Gale whispered into her ears. "I''m not leaving you."


    That got her a little freer as Gale lifted her from his embrace. He supported her with his left arm on the back with her stomach facing skywards.


    Gale didn''t wait ceremoniously. He tore over her wet robes in her belly and found an impossiblyplicated runic mark glowing on her abdomen.


    The mark was far greater than what Xiaolin showed him a few days ago. Some part of it was still obscure, but a part was glowing with? brilliant golden light. Almost a fifth of the mark was visible, glowing as if imprinting itself onto her being.


    And that was exactly what was happening. Xiaolin''s spirit was transforming, and this was merely the physical manifestation of it.


    If Gale didn''t know well, he would consider Xiaolin to be from the lineage of the Celestial Radiance. With the gold light, peculiar constitution and all.


    However, that wasn''t the case. This differed too much front the lineage of Celestial Radiance. Well, even if it weren''t the mythic race of celestial beings, Gale was absolutely sure Xiaolin wasn''t entirely human. Not in the way normal humans were conceived at the very least.


    However, Gale didn''t dwell on those thoughts as a more urgent matter on hand. Xiaolin was going through a metamorphosis, which might just be unique to her lineage.


    He has to help her. Somehow.


    Gale took in a deep breath and assessed the changes happening. Xiaolin was umting Qi at a tremendous rate, though most of it was moving to refine her body. However, in the centre of it all was the revolving sphere.


    "Linlin, listen to me very carefully,'' Gale whispered into her ears as Xiaolin moaned in understanding. "You''re going through an advancement metamorphosis, your physical and spiritual aspect is changing all together, we can''t stop this process in midway."


    "Master," Xiaolin called through her whimpers. She opened her tore up eyes to look up at him. "Master, will I. . . be alright?


    "Yes." Gale touched her cheek softly and soothingly as he embraced her again. This process would take hours if not aplete day if we keep at it, and Gale feared Linlin''s condition and chances of making it would only decrease as the time went on.


    But Gale won''t let that happen. Not on his watch.


    "Focus, the pain will be unendurable for a time, but you mustplete this process as quickly as possible," Gale said. "I''ll help you, but the only thing I can achieve is assisting you in your way. Linlin, you have to get it together."


    Gale forced a link with the energy in the surroundings and made his way through Qi into her system. His energy joined in the race of revolving around the sphere of amassing energy. The pace of revolution doubled instantly as Xiaolin groaned aloud.


    The burning and swelling in their spirit rose, as Xiaolin started to shiver again.


    Thankfully, Vale barged into the bathroom with a tremendous pace, feeling the shift in Gale''s spirit. He had been hunting in the mountains, as it was his favourite thing to do during the afternoon.


    But the moment he sensed hispanion waspromised, he fired up all his might to get back to Stormhold.


    Vale pushed his guardian power and Protected Xiaolin. More pressure was lifted off the poor girl as she could finally breathe air, notfortable, but she would get there.


    Gale put his every concentration of helping Xiaolin umte the changes faster, forgetting about everything.


    About half an hourter, spirit marks of gold, silver, and iron burst out of his void lock in the surroundings. Since there was no cultivation script in ce in the bath, Gale had to divide his intent yet again and crush the perfect spirit marks as a burst of rich spirit energy filled the bath.


    His mind chilled as he crushed the spirit marks. He was passively aware he was doing something that shouldn''t have been possible for him. Perhaps it was another thing he unlocked, getting closer to bing a true master of Spirit arts. He had no mind to dwell on that currently.


    Gale was busy making sure Xiaolin didn''t burst out into a blob of a bloody mess with the amount of spirit energy coursing through her body.


    Gale figured Xiaolin would be alright after her spirit went through the change, which wouldplete in about a couple of hours, but the physical transformation would take time.


    Her body was soaking Qi at an rming rate as she cycled them, but none of them were sure when how long it would take for her constitution to be satisfied.

 Chapter 164 161 Advancement (3)

    Xiaolin woke up to a disgusting stench and found herself submerged in water, still in Gale''s embrace. The water was dirtier than she would like, and she was probably the reason behind that. It was all impurities of her body that dirtied the water.


    With the bathhouse construct disabled, it remained mostly dirty. Along with the stench, there was heavy smoke of spirit energy in the air. It would have made her greedy to absorb them all on most days, but not today.


    That only left with her the person she was clutched to. She was about to lift her head to look at his face, but a tearing pain took over her, making her whimper in his embrace.


    "Move slowly," her master advised her as he lifted her up slowly to his face level, still in his embrace.


    "Master," Xiaolin called, unsure what to say.


    "Congrattions on your advancement." Gale smiled softly, touching her cheek. He wiped the bloody sludge off her face as brighter skin appeared underneath theyers of bloody impurities. The advancement of metamorphosis did her good, and the skin was the least of it.


    Xiaolin blinked at his congrattions, and then realisation dawned on her.


    "Master, then I''m. . ." she lost her words at the excitement. "I''m copper?"


    Xiaolin moaned again, jerking her head up in his grasp. The news was exciting enough for her to forget everything in celebration.


    "No, you aren''t a copper," Gale said. "Honestly, I don''t know what you''re now, but it is one step forward."


    "What do you mean?" Xiaolin drew her face closer to his, frowning.


    "I probably should have seen thising. The steps of your spirit art cultivation differ from normal humans," Gale said. "In simpler words, you don''t follow the progression route of Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold. Your path should be more like Twilight or Vale."


    "But the pain I went through," Xiaolin said, still wasn''tprehending what Gale said.


    "It wasn''t the Copper metamorphosis," Gale said, disappointing her. "And you''ll never have them. Your path of progression is different. I think it''s right to call it "The First Cmity" since your spirit nature outweighs your human nature."


    "First cmity," Xiaolin repeated. She certainly didn''t like the sound of it. Well, considering the excruciating pain she experienced the few hours, her reasoning was valid.


    "Xiaolin, it might be a littlete for me to say, but you should know you''re not a human. Notpletely."


    "WHAT!?" That got the biggest scare off her as she jerked in his embrace, only to groan in pain.


    "I fear one of your parents, preferably your mother, is of the spirit race," Gale said. "I have little knowledge to say which exact race, but I''m pretty sure about my guess. In honesty, most people can''t tell the difference, as Spirit Race is only a legend to most people."


    The frown of anxiety never left Xiaolin''s brows as the big revtion still resounded in her head.


    "Don''t think too much about it," Gale said, rubbing her head.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Master, what am I?" Xiaolin asked, biting her lip.


    "You''re my disciple, for one thing," Gale said softly. "As for anything else, you can decide for yourself what you want to be."


    Gale activated the construct of the bathhouse as the air and water started to refresh, albeit at a slower pace. Whatever changes Xiaolin went through, it destroyed the array of spirit constructs, though their self-repairing features would recover all their functions in a few more hours.


    He hadn''t done that before, thinking it would wake up Xiaolin, as he was keeping herpany. But now there was no point staying with the terrible stench of the impurities.


    "Honesty, I don''t think you''ll care much about it," Gale said. "Well, to be fair, I think you''ll like it if you consider what changes it brought to you."


    Xiaolin blinked. "What changes?"


    "For a starter, your hair is blonde," Gale said. "Not just a normal blonde, it was literally glowing in a golden shimmer."


    Xiaolin''s eyes widened as finally, her eyes fell on her shimmering hair that seemed to spit gold. She had seen nothing like this before.


    "This. . ." Xiaolin touched her hair, even though she felt like crying even at the slightest motion. "This feels weird."


    "It suits you," Gale told her. "Also, I think you''re a few centimetres taller now, and way prettier. It feels you''ll develop the legendary mour after a couple more advancements."


    Xiaolin''s heart raced at her master''s words. Of course, she didn''t understand thetter part, but a few centimetres taller, she could ask for nothing more. As for the prettier part, she would have to judge itter.


    "However, the biggest change should be your constitution," Gale said. "You can already feel the change, don''t you?"


    Xiaolin nodded her head like a woodpecker as she considered his words. She waspletely full of Qi, as if like a balloon only with Qi.


    "I have over ten times more Qi than what I used to have," Xiaolin said. "But why does my body hurt?"


    "Clearly, you aren''t prepared for the first cmity," Gale said. "But I think the pain will go away within a day or two. You''ll be perfectly fine before the festival to show off your new looks. Anyway, you should check out what you can do after you went through so much pain."


    Gale could already detect what capability Xiaolin would have, but it was better for her to figure that out on her own. He couldn''t wait to find the delight spreading on her face.


    "Yes," Xiaoiln said as she drew her Qi. At that very moment, her eyes beamed as she felt a warmth in her abdomen. An image of an overlyplicated mark appeared in her mind shortly. "The mark?"


    Xiaolin used her Qi instinctively, unsure of what she was doing. The result was greater than she imagined. All the water in the bathhouse connected to her Qi as she wielded them as she pleased.


    With just a thing, she created a whirlpool in the water. Xiaolin had apletely dumbfounded expression on her face.

 Chapter 165 162 Advancement (4)

    "Master, how am I doing this?"


    "Guess," Gale said with a smile.


    "Is it the mark?" Xiaolin asked, arching an eyebrow.


    "The mark is simply the manifestation of your lineage, but you''re thinking in the right direction," said Gale. "Do you mind if I inspect it again?"


    Xiaolin shook her head and finally remembered she was soaking wet and in her master''s embrace. She blushed, but thankfully with everything she went through, her face couldn''t go more red.


    Gale manoeuvred Xiaolin like before, making her sit on hisp, guiding his left arm behind her. A strip of cloth covered the mark. Gale uncovered it as both of their sightsid at it.


    At the centre of it was a circr mark, and below it was theplicated runic pattern. Gale touched with his finger, making Xiaolin shiver at the very contact as if electric pulsed through both of them.


    A frown appeared on both of their faces. As he feared, there was something more than Gale had assumed.


    "Master, what happened?"


    "Hmm," Gale hummed slightly and started to strip off the clothes of his upper body.


    "Master?" Xiaolin blushed furiously.


    Her mind ranged wildly at the anticipation, but Gale didn''t go where she was imagining him to go. Instead, heid bare only until his second fate mark could be seen. There was a slight circr mark below it as well, exactly identical to hers.


    Gale had noticed that the moment it had appeared on his chest. It was during her advancement when Gale helped her in the entire process. Something convoluted happened, and Xiaolin''s reliance andplete trust in him made it happened.


    "What is this?" Xiaolin asked. She had a terrible impulse to touch the little circr mark, even though more of her master''s propertyid bare before her eyes.


    "It appears you have bonded me somehow," Gale said, exhaling.


    "What?" Xiaolin was dumbstruck again by the news.


    "Exactly what it sounds," Gale said, unsure what to do about it. "No, I''m not secretly a spirit beast that could manifest human form. It''s probably something to do with your spiritual nature. Also, two humans could bond if they have the required trust between them. Of course, they need the help of something spiritual in the process."


    "Master," Xiaolin called, as many ideas shed in her head. She could feel the string that attached them if she put her mind to it, but the string was barely anything, a thin tendril of something she couldn''t understand. "Is that bond permanent?"


    "If we work for it, then yes," Gale said. "It''s like the bond between me and Vale, workspletely on trust and reliance. Your spirit probably trusted mepletely during the process as you pulled the power of your lineage instinctively to make it happen."


    Honestly, it made the process of his assistance to her a lot easier. Xiaolin probably worked on her instinct to save her life, but without the trust in him, it wouldn''t bepletely possible. Of course, it needed consent from Gale''s spirit as well.


    Only simply could not put something on someone else spirit, just because they desired it.


    Xiaolin blinked and then bit her lips. "Master, you are. . ." she asked, evident anxiety jittered her expression. "Are you okay with this?"


    "Sure," Gale said easily, "anything for my disciple."


    Xiaolin sighed in relief big time. She wasn''t shy about showing it. "So what does the bond do?"


    "Location tracking, for starters. As for the other elements, we have to figure it out slowly." Gale had some suspicions, but he didn''t spout something he wasn''t sure about.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Back to your lineage mark." Gale drew attention to the thin mark on her abdomen. "It is one of theplicated things I ever encounter. And it is still iplete."


    "Iplete?" Xiaolin arched an eyebrow.


    "This is merely a part of the lineage," Gale said. "This part of it enables you to use the inheritance over the element water. I would need to inspect it more to figure out more, but we don''t have time for it now.


    "Anyway, since you have water power now, you''ll have no problem cleaning yourself, even when your body is limp. I''ll help myself out. Take as much time as you want."


    Gale was about to leave, freeing her from his embrace, but Xiaolin called before he could do it.


    "Master, wait," Xiaolin said.


    Gale lifted an eyebrow.


    Xiaolin bit her lips, staring at his eyes, and then embraced him tightly.


    "Thank you for everything, Master. If it weren''t for you, I would have died."


    She was probably right about that. The half-human, half-spirit race nature only brought disaster to her life. She wouldn''t have made it without his help.


    Then again, Gale brought this cmity to her life. Without him, she would never have had ess to pure crystals. And without pure crystals, the inheritance in her blood would remain dormant for her life.


    "I''m your master. I''ll be there for you. Always."


    Gale caressed her golden hair as Xiaoliny safely on his chest for some time. Their rtionship was growing weirder with each day, and now, with the bond between them, itplicated things even further.


    ''Looks like I can leave things for the future anymore,'' Gale thought.


    "Now if you excuse me," he said, "Linlin, you stink. Clean yourself well. I''ll be outside."


    ***


    Gale got out of the bathhouse and found Vale nearby. The hound stood up and came forward to lick him, but stopped midway, smelling the reek of him.


    Gale smiled. "I need to clean up as well."


    There were two things he could do here: wait for Xiaolin to finish up, or fly to the nearby stream to clean himself. Gale had the urge to do thetter, but considering Xiaolin was still needed his help after she''s done, he remained standing outside the bath.


    That turned out to be the right decision as before a quarter of an hour could even pass, Xiaolin screamed from the bathhouse.


    "MASTER!"


    "Linlin," Galeunched himself into motion, literally flying back to the bathhouse. "What happened?"


    ____________

 Chapter 166 163 Fiery Emotions (1)

    Gale got into the bathhouse and found nothing amiss. Nothing but his disciple that was. She was submerged in the water still with a horrified expression on her face.


    Gale couldn''t fathom the reason behind that. Nothing indicated anything amiss, but something gave her quite a big scare.


    "What happened?" he asked.


    "My Qi," Xiaolin cried, "it''s still the same, it''s not recovering."


    A frown crept to Gale''s brows immediately. He had discussed this with Xiaolin before, mentioning her condition wouldn''t be solved with just one advancement, but it surely would diminish the demerits of her constitution.


    "Is there no improvement?" Gale asked.


    "I don''t know," Xiaolin said in her panic, "I can''t tell."


    "Hmm," Gale hummed in contemtion. He wouldn''t get to a solution without some examination, but this was hardly the time or ce to do that. "Linlin, how much Qi do you have?"


    "I''m two-thirds full," Xiaolin said.


    "Okay, clean yourself, spending all your Qi," Gale instructed her. "We''ll test a few things after that."


    Saying that Gale got out of the bathhouse again. Xiaolin held an expression that told she would like to say something, but she refrained at thest moment.


    It took her about another quarter of an hour to clean properly. Done with that, she called after her master as she didn''t have the physical power to move on her own.


    "Master, I''m done."


    "Okay, I''m entering," Gale said first and entered the bathhouse again after a couple of seconds.


    He found Xiaolin still submerged in the water with her torn-up wet clothes stuck to her thin frame, disying the modest texture of her womanly curves. Her skin was even brighter and purer after the cleaning with most of her swelling healing up miraculously.


    "Master, it seemed I have some healing power," Xiaolin said with some level of spirit in her tone. "It isn''t that good, as I''m still feeling the pain, but all my bruises and torn-up skin had healed."


    Gale nodded with interest in his eyes. "You used up all your Qi?"


    Xiaolin nodded.


    "It seemed your hair has a close tie with your Qi, it stopped glistening after you used up all your Qi," Gale said.


    Xiaolin fumbled to draw a few strands of her hair in rm. The colour was between bleached grey and bleak blonde now, still matching well with her picturesque exterior.


    "I didn''t even manage to see it properly," Xiaolin whined.


    "Well, I think it will glisten in gold if you have some Qi to spare."


    Xiaolin was about to start cycling at that very moment to see how much of his hypothesis was true, but she groaned the moment she tried to draw energy into her body.


    "Don''t be impatient," Gale told her. "Since that mark represents water attribute, it makes sense for you to have some self-healing properties. You''ll probably be able to heal others as well after some training. Anyway, give it a rest, your body needs it. In a day or two, you can return to cycling again."


    Xiaolin could only nod.


    "Wait for a second, I''ll move you to the house," Gale said as he crept closer to her.


    "Master no," Xiaolin said, "you''re still dirty, I don''t want to wash up again."


    Gale halted and examined himself. Well, he wasn''t particrly dirty, though he reeked of her impurities.


    "What do you propose then?"


    "You clean up, and I''ll wait," Xiaolin said with some fluster.


    "In the water?"


    "Why not? It''s not ufortable," Xiaolin said.


    "If you say so," Gale said and dived into the water. "Do you need a towel?"


    "Later."


    The barely working construct managed to clean the water after Xiaolin washed, though most of its functions were unavable currently.


    Gale turned over to show his back to Xiaolin and stripped off his tunic. Xiaolin kept on peeping, submerged face down in the water. Her eyes widened as for the first time sheid eyes on the fate mark on Gale''s back.


    "That is the Stormsong?" She couldn''t help but ask, even though the answer should be obvious.


    It was a long tattoo of a double-edged spear penned on Gale''s spine.


    "Cool right?" Gale asked. "That''s the fate mark I''m most proud of, but don''t tell Vale. Although the Void lock was more on disy, it gives a menacing vibe."


    "Master, can I see the entire fate mark?" Xiaolin asked as she could barely see a third of the mark, Gale being submerged in the water.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Sure, let me just. . ." Gale supported himself on the edge of the pool and pull himself up, disying the entirety of the spear mark on his spine.


    Xiaolin was literally ogling at the wide muscr upper body. Her chest heaved as she felt hot inside. Her nostril red slightly as she felt some connection in the mark in her abdomen.


    However, Xiaolin didn''t have time to inspect more of the sensation as her attention was drawn to another mark on Gale''s waist, not the glorious mark of fate, but a menacing scar that seemed to have gone all the way from his back to the front.


    "Master, that scar. . ."


    "Oh, that," Gale hesitated, "that''s a mark too, not the one I''m proud of, but it became a part of me."


    "Part of you?" Xiaolin asked with confusion. "Is that why you didn''t heal them?"


    Galeughed. "Let''s not talk about that now," he said. "There''s a long story behind it, I''ll tell you someday."


    More importantly, he was interested in the warmth that came through the bond mark a moment ago. It felt like a burst of all fiery emotions.


    Anyway, it wasn''t the ce to think about all that, nor the time. Gale submerged fully into the water and cleaned himself. It didn''t take him long, controlling his aura very delicately, he differentiated between himself and the stain as the water cleaned everything up.


    Done with cleaning, Gale got up from the bath and brought out two long white towels. He wrapped himself in one first and helped Xiaolin get out of the water. Well, he literally pulled her up using his physical strength and wind Qi.


    He wrapped the towel around her even though she was in wet clothes. Xiaolin kept on staring at him, her face red with all sorts of emotion showering from her aura.


    Gale frowned, but didn''t say anything at that moment.


    "Let''s go then," Gale said as he pulled her closer to lift her up in a princess carry.


    Xiaolin heaved a hot breath on his neck as she snuggled into his chest, shying away to hide her face. Gale could feel her heartbeat rising as fiery emotion blossomed through their bond.


    ''The bond is more intimate than I thought,'' Gale mused as he carried her out of the bathhouse.


    It was already in the middle of the night, the metamorphosis took about six hours toplete. Vale already got into the house, to his warm bed after spending much effort to Protect Xiaolin.


    Gale carried her slowly just in case of her injury, however, the more they got closer to the house, the moreplicated and fiercer Xiaolin''s emotions became. Gale didn''t know if it was because of the bond or because of the shift in her nature, but she was certainly feeling it.


    Xiaolin was full of unbridled desire, the fiery desire for skin texture and warmth, She struggled in his grasp, inhaling and exhaling thickly as if possessed by something.


    "Linlin," Gale told her. "Get hold of yourself."


    "Mhh," Xiaolin squeaked, barely putting a check on her unbridled emotion.


    Thinking silence would make her more ufortable, Gale decided to converse with her.


    "The bond has changed the rtionship dynamics between us," Gale said. "I can clearly feel your emotions through it, your vulnerability and strength, of course, you grew clumsy with your control after your advancement, but it leaves us with much to contemte over.


    Things would go even moreplicated if we decided to keep the bond, and if--"


    "Master, I don''t want to break the bond," Xiaolin cut in, her voice sparked with emotion.


    "Do you know what that implies?"


    Xiaolin said nothing for some time as finally realisation dawned on her. But with realisation came a resolution.


    "I know," she said with eagerness, "it means I can''t have a rtionship with another person. But I don''t want another person, I. . ."


    Thetter part was left unsaid, but both of them knew what she was supposed to say.


    "Linlin, you''re still young," Gale advised her as he felt the thump of her heartbeat. "Don''t make any decision that you might regret in the long run."


    "That''s what I''m doing, Master."


    In the next moment, Xiaolin drew her lips closer to his, but with her injury and height, she fell short by a nick, kissing only Gale''s lower lip.


    A fiery burst of emotion spread in Gale''s chest, through the bond at Xiaolin''s clumsy approach to kissing. Her little nose was touching his upper lip as Xiaolin''s chest heaved.


    Gale was dumbstruck for a moment and let her do as she pleased. When she finished, he opened his lips to say something, but it remained hung open, lost for words.


    Xiaolin''s chest heaved up and down as she looked at him with all the flusters and courage she could muster.


    "Even if it takes decades, I''ll do everything in my power to make you ept me."


    Xiaolin snuggled into his chest as she finished what she had to say. She said nothing more and kept her face hidden till Gale brought her into the house.


    He put her in her bed slowly and drew his face to her eye level.


    "Okay, there are a few things we must discuss if you held onto this belief."

 Chapter 167 164 Fiery Emotions (2)

    Xiaolin''s heart hadn''t stopped racing since she confessed. Even more so, now she was at the height of the most exciting moment of her life.


    Xiaolin actually confessed. She confessed to her master, of all people. She couldn''t believe it.


    Well, so far, it''s looking good. Gale hadn''t outright rejected her, but why wasn''t he saying after mentioning he had something to discuss on this topic?


    Gale said they would discuss this, but all he did was drop her on the bed and start wiping her with the towel, turning her anticipation to a new peak.


    Xiaolin was dying with anticipation as Gale wiped her arms, neck, and face every so slightly. Even though she was hot with the touch, she felt like she had been handled as a child, as there was no change in her master''s expression.


    But things changed when he was done cleaning her non-private areas. Gale stopped and faced her.


    "I''m removing your robe," he said, as if asking for permission.


    Xiaolin nodded, her face turning redder.


    Gale gently tugged off the wet robe from her upper body and then lower. The robe was already in tattered rags, so he didn''t make Xiaolin go through all the pain to remove them. He simply cut it into parts to remove them.


    A momentter, Xiaolin was only in her underclothes. The maiden girl shied away, hiding her face.


    Gale''s eyes feasted on her texture for an extended moment, but he managed to keep everything within his pants. The bond was making it difficult for him as all Xiaolin was feeling was reverberating onto him, making him excited as well.


    Everything was screaming at him, saying this might not be a bad idea. The supply texture, the picturesque face with overloaded cuteness, the shying away expression, the budding breasts that were left untouched since the girl was born, or the t belly and the maidenhead that went deeper into herher region¡ªall screamed at him, asking him to love this girl.


    Gale wrapped her with the towel again and rubbed gently, intentionally missing her private parts, but this was no less stimting for Linlin''s maiden heart.


    "Master," Xiaolin squeaked with a barely coherent voice, "you''re killing me."


    Gale stopped. "Anything more is inappropriate for me to continue," Gale said. "You have to remove your undergarments on your own even if it hurts."


    Xiaolin nodded heavily, not prepared to go all the way.


    "Should I leave for the moment for you to change and thene back to discuss a littleter?" Gale said. "Well, it''ste. It will be better if we do this in the morning."


    "No," Xiaolin squeaked louder. "I''ll die with anticipation. Master, say whatever you have to say now."


    "As you wish." Gale exhaled a deep breath and sat next to her in the bed. "It might be unbing or even hypocritical for me to admit, but I have no issue loving you even though you''re my disciple."


    Xiaolin''s heart burst into delight, but Gale wasn''t nearly finished yet.


    "We are practitioners. We live a long life, and getting apanion who can spend all the long years with you is heaven''s fortune. Well, I''m still young and already lost two women whom I thought I could live eternity with.


    "So I didn''t hold on to the false belief that everything will work out for the best. I have lost enough to be thoroughly suspicious of the heavenly fate. This world had shown its graces, tossing me to the best of its people, but in the next moment, it had taken away many things as well, pitting me against the worst of its people.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I don''t. . .can''t hope for everything to work well for me. For all that mattered, I would be a powerless fool the next day if I didn''t find a cure for my wound. And the odds everyone showed me, it''s unlikely for me to find a cure."


    Xiaolin sucked in a deep breath. The anticipation wasn''t copsing at her master''s confession. Not at all.


    In his confession, her master decided to open up about his emotions regarding the matter, and she could feel the honesty and pain through the bond. True, it was recently made, but she could feel it strengthening as he talked.


    "Now the question is, why do you care, or can you care about a man who may lose everything the next day, and even brought disaster to your life? As my past entails, it has already happened twice."


    Xiaolin drew her palm closer to her masters and sped them. "Master," she said softly. "You already know my answer. It won''t change even if you be a nobody. You made me what I''m now. Before you, I was nothing. So if you be nothing, I''ll do everything to make you whole again."


    Silly girl, she has no idea how the world works, Gale mused. But he surely liked her conviction.


    "Will your answer still be the same if I can never love you like I loved Saarya and Selene?"


    Xiaolin nodded.


    "Will your conviction remain the same if I decided to love another person?" Gale asked, his voice serious. "Will your conviction about me remain the same if you choose to marry more than one person?"


    Xiaolin was ready for the woodpecker impression, but she halted as the words resounded in her ears.


    "Will you," she asked, instead, "marry more than one person?"


    Gale smiled, finding her hesitation. "I''ve been tempted before," Galeughed. "I can say for absolute certainty no straight man in the world can remain free of this temptation."


    Xiaolin''s face grewplicated. "Master, this isn''t fair."


    "It isn''t," Gale agreed. "You can take your time with this. We have all the time for this, but--"


    "Fine," Xiaolin cut in.


    Gale blinked. "What did you say?"


    "Fine," Xiaolin said, clenching her jaw, "I agree for you to have more than one partner."


    _____________


    Drop power stones and Golden Tickets whatever you have to make the book rank higher.


    It depresses me whenever I see the dwindling numbers.


    I''ll think of bonus content ordingly.

 Chapter 168 165 Fiery Emotions (3)

    "I agree for you to have more than one partner."


    "Are you being serious?" Gale said incredulously. "You know you don''t have to answer this now. You can take your time. This is, after all, the decision of your life."


    Xiaolin shook her head. "I sure don''t like it," she intoned, "but thinking about how distinguished men like Lord Heartme married his second wife, it kind of made sense. I would''ve been heartbroken if he left Sage of the Azure moon."


    "You''reparing me to some great figure. I don''t know if I can follow in their footsteps."


    "But I''ll be angry if you brought in every little stray you found to home," Xiaolin continued.


    "Let''s hope I don''t be a lustful beast in myter years," Gale chuckled. "Also, remember we''re speaking in hypothetical situations."


    He took in a deep breath and sighed. "I can''t believe you agreed. I had this talk with Selene, and she poked me with a knife."


    Well, poke was an understatement. The knife had reached his bone. That was one demerit of loving a yandere. They take everything to extremes even when the stuff mentioned was hypothetical.


    "If that stopped you, I don''t mind doing that too," Xiaoiln said in an inaudible voice, "but that would be unbing of me as your disciple."


    "Found yourself at a disadvantage huh?" Gale shot her a knowing look. "I know. I was at that ce too."


    "What?" Xiaolin blinked.


    "The first woman I fell in love with was my master," Gale said ruefully. "No, not that drunkard geezer, but the angel of my dream."


    Xiaolin frowned, but didn''t question more on the topic, even though she wanted to. This was one of the sore points of her Master''s life, and he was still ufortable talking about it. He still hadn''t told her about how he escaped from the pit. It was where probably the strategy happened.


    "Do you have any other requirements?" Xiaolin asked, her heartbeat rising again as she finallyprehended. This was happening. She had dreamed about it sincest month. Well, it was just over a month before she met Gale.


    "Nah, that was just about it," Gale said, lifting her palm to kiss it gently. "Do you have any requirements of me?"


    Xiaolin blinked, unsure if she had a say in this. "I can have them?"


    "As long as you don''t decide to sleep with another man," Gale said yfully, though she understood he was serious about it.


    "No," Xiaolin said with a jab in her tone. "Thankfully, for most women, one man is enough."


    "Hey, I thought we were speaking hypothetically," Galeined. "Also, mind you, I''m not simply one man. You''ll figure that outter."


    Xiaolin blushed, figuring out the implication of his words as the hot emotions rose to her core. Seriously, she had to learn to control this. Why did her desires be so heightened after her advancement? She hoped it was a temporary thing.


    Anyway, to not dived back into those raw desires, she carried on with her requirements, getting her chance.


    "You cannot flirt with another woman in front of me," Xiaolin said. "Especially not with that Qing''e."


    "Even better," Gale agreed easily, not thinking much. "I''ll ask for your consent if I ever decide to court another woman." He then added, "Hypothetically. For your information, I have always been amitted one-woman guy. Never been much of a womaniser."


    Xiaolin snorted. "Secondly, you can''t treat me like I''m a child?"


    Gale stoppedughing and seriously looked at her. This changed stuff.


    "Can I still pat you, though?" He asked, evident uneasiness in his voice.


    Xiaolin was about to say no, but the next phrase out of Gale''s mouth changed her mind.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "If you say no, I might have to rethink all this."


    Xiaolin gritted her teeth. "Fine," she said, "you can pat me, but not in front of others."


    "What if I can''t resist?"


    Xiaolin decided to not go on tangents with her master, as he was a master at changing topics and vibes of conversation like this. She still didn''t know if he did it intentionally or simply as a habit of nature.


    Also, as if to spite her, he brought his palm onto her head and pat her.


    Xiaolin shot him a re and continued on. "You''ll cook the meal for most days."


    "You don''t need to put that in the requirements," Gale said, still patting her. "I''m happy to do that for you all my life."


    Xiaolin pouted. It was so hard to stay angry at her master, even when she was pretending.


    She thought about the following requirements. In her stupor, she seemed to forget about what she achieved, but that''s most women''s nature.


    However, no matter how much she thought, she couldn''te up with any more requirements. Well, she could think of many other things like not patting her on the head in public, but she could achieve that through other means.


    So that''s why Xiaolin yed the cards that only the women y well.


    "I''ll keep the other requirements to myself for now."


    "I can clearly see you doing that," Gale said, "but don''t hope for any leeway in spirit arts. I''m your master in one ce and a lover in another."


    Gale got off the bed, finishing the little discussion. He was about to leave, but Xiaolin called her again.


    "Wait."


    Gale turned with a raised eyebrow, asking for what.


    Xiaolin stopped to consider what she was about to say and found nothing left to say. She actually managed to get what she wanted.


    "Master, this isn''t a dream, right?"


    "Unless you have a dreamwalking power," Gale chuckled. "Change now and rest. Your body requires it."


    Gale hadn''t managed to leavepletely, as Xiaolin rolled on her bed, ignoring her pain, screaming in inaudible delight.


    ***


    Xiaolin woke upte in the next morning, thinking all that happened yesterday was merely a dream.


    Her fast recovery provided another reason for her to think all of it was a dream.


    She was losing herself in all these thoughts when the door of her room opened, and she found her master walking in with a te of food in his hand.


    "Morning sunshine, I prepared the breakfast for you."

 Chapter 169 166 Discipling (1)

    Xiaolin gobbled up everything her master made for her. With her body feeling better, she had no trouble doing it all alone, although the prospect of her master feeding her made her think more than twice.


    Torn between the delight of what had happened yesterday and her shame, she decided to eat on her own.


    The food wasn''t anything delicious though, simply nutritious sds with the addition of that detestable green drink that her master loved to feed her.


    "How are you feeling?" Gale asked her.


    "Better than I hoped," Xiaolin answered, not looking at him.


    "Good then, we can examine a little on where you have improved after this," Gale said as he got off the bed. "I''ll be waiting on the roof of the new house. You can take your time preparing."


    Xiaolin hummed in agreement as her master left her room.


    Xiaolin squeaked in delight again and then stopped, chewing the vegetable slowly.


    ''Master epted me,'' she thought, ''but it doesn''t feel like anything changed though.''


    It was about the same as before. Her master made the meal most of the days before she could wake up and trained her as he instructed today as well.


    Xiaolin frowned as she considered. Perhaps it wasn''t just to make her ufortable.


    When that got off her mind, Xiaolin closed her eyes and concentrated on the bond mark. Slowly, her mind drifted to feel the presence of another person. Her master cleaned the dishes just in the next room.


    He had no idea she was spying on him like this and--


    "I guess you figured out how to operate the mark," Gale yelled back, as Xiaolin swallowed, cutting off her concentration on the bond mark immediately.


    Chuckling to herself, Xiaolin thought it should be the time for her to check out how her cycling had changed. She closed her eyes again and imagined the revolving sphere.


    Immediately, thick wisps of energy came to her grasp as she absorbed them.


    "Whoa," Xiaolin grasped. Her speed of absorbing energy had increased to a tremendous degree.


    Feeling good about herself, she checked out a little more and didn''t wait there ceremoniously. She went to the old bathroom and do the work she had been dying to aplish after the advancement.


    She checked on herself. Completely naked.


    It was quite easy to remove her thin robe, as she had worn nothing underneath yesterday. Then she focused on the face reflected in the mirror.


    At first notice, she couldn''t actually recognise it. It felt like someone else''s face. Just to be sure, she pinched her milky white cheek and the person in the mirror imitated herpletely.


    The face in the mirror held more resemnce to her than she recognised at first, but it was more perfect. And then came her bleached-out hair. Xiaolin touched it, as it felt like feathers to her touch.


    She drew in energy from the environment, and just as her master told her, her hair shimmered in a dim golden light. The intensity rose with the amount of energy she absorbed. Xiaolin''s heart grew excited.


    Xiaolin wasn''t sure which one she liked the most, but this new hair certainly stood out more. Even more so when it was literally shimmering.


    Then came her height. Honestly, she would sell her hair to get a few more inches. Her master said she had grown a few inches, but she certainly didn''t feel like it. Another change was how she put some mass to her body, while it was where she desired, more on the lower body. She was happy with it.


    Lastly, she inspected the mark on her abdomen. It remained stamped on her t belly as if nothing serious, but it had almost killed her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Just as her master said, it felt iplete. It glowed in a golden shimmer whenever she drew in energy. That was just about it after omitting the part where she checked out more of her womanly parts.


    Refreshing herself, Xiaolin changed into her training robes and got out to meet her master.


    The test her master put her through was simply around cycling. The speed at which Xiaolin absorb energy had increased by a lot of margins. After a few tests in this regard, they find out it took her barely a minute to fill a fifth of her energy pool, which was already twice of her previous pool of energy.


    Then the speed was cut off by halves and lessened even further as she reached to her saturation. Of course, even the decreasing speed was still a few folds higher than her regr speed.


    So without pure crystals, she would need about a couple of hours to fill herself with energy. That was never possible before the advancement.


    But with pure crystal, it would be totally a different story. Unfortunately, she absorbed thest bit of pure crystal on her advancement to taste it out.


    "I''ll get more of itter," Gale reassured her.


    As pure crystal was the main reason behind her advancement, Gale couldn''t be cheap out on that. Though he had to n this carefully, as he couldn''t let Xiaolin go through the cmity faster. She was hardly prepared for this one. If it wasn''t for his third fate lock, she would have died.


    Gale wasn''t sure how much he could even help next time. He had to put some serious extended thoughts in this regard.


    "More importantly, is the energy emitting from your body on its own?"


    "It is," Xiaolin said, but she wasn''t that distraught about it. "But the rate hasn''t increased, also I can keep them inside if I concentrate now."


    It was also easy, if she was with less energy. For example, when she was barely one-fifth full, she hardly emitted anything, but when she was full, it emitted out just as fast as she used to. It would take her a day at the very least to go on from full to nil doing nothing.


    A big improvement, she would say.


    "Hmm," Gale hummed in contemtion. "I think your lineage is not about cultivating Qi like how normal humans do, but umting them, using them, and being done with it. Well, I can be wrong, but this seemed likely."


    "Meaning I''ll always have lost energy?"


    "Probably not," Gale said. "But that would change after you go through a couple more cmities, at the very least. Honestly, I think you''ll be a sight to watch when youplete your lineage mark."


    The day went just like that. Gale treated herpletely usually, though he was a bit open about showing his affection. But with all the work he had, he couldn''t give her more time.


    The mansion would be ready within a week and Gale had toplete the defence construct by then. Xiaolin simply watched him as he worked throughout the evening.


    Nothing happened that day that could make her heart flutter like yesterday.


    The next day came and went just about the same, Gale treating her only as a disciple, not giving her enough time that he promised.


    Xiaolin wasn''t satisfied with it.


    So she came knocking on his door at night.


    ____________


    The next chapter is NSFW. Skip/skim-read it if you don''t like mature content in your books.

 Chapter 170 167 Discipling (2) - [NSFW]

    NSFW/Explicit.


    The blow content contains mature content. Read your own description.


    ____________


    Gale didn''t have to wait for the knock on the door, as he could already feel Xiaolin''s heart racing through the bond.


    Still, he waited for her to knock, and then her voice squeaked in.


    "Master, can Ie in?"


    Even though he was done with today''s work, he wasn''t simply resting. In simple words, Gale had cheated his way to be a master in Script, or how else do you think he became a master in four years of script practising? This wrong way of practice impeded further improvement in this subject.


    So he worked every second day for a few hours on how to rectify the fault he made in his way of learning scripts.


    He turned his head towards the door and thought about which one to choose between dull books and discipling the girl.


    His answer was always thetter. Gale stood up from his seat and approached the door.


    He opened the door to find Xiaolin waiting with her thin nightgown on. Her slender figure outlined perfectly against the dim light and with the white nightgown. It was loose clothes on the lower body, but on the upper body, it was tighter, showing much of her skin, even a thin line of cleavage.


    She was literally shaking at her audacity, but managed to keep a straight face under her master''s scrutiny.


    "Yes?" Gale asked, evident amusement in his tone. He could easily feel why Xiaolin was here.


    Xiaolin bit her lips, fidgeting her fingers together. "Master, there''s something I wanted to discuss with you," Xiaolin managed to say. "Can Ie in?"


    "Sure." Gale gestured with his hands to bring her in.


    Xiaolin examined his room for a couple of seconds and decided to go for the bed under the dim light of the light construct. She didn''t stop fidgeting with her fingers, and now even doing it with her legs, unprepared for how to go on about this.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "Um," Xiaolin''s head was toward looking at her feet. Her hair was glowing in dim gold, as she had a safe amount of Qi within her.


    "Linlin?"


    Xiaolin sucked in a deep breath and let out every word together. "Master, can I sleep here with you?"


    Gale was startled at her courage and openness about it. As far as he was concerned, Gale thought it would take her months to even manage another kiss, much less ask this after the second day. She was, after all, a maiden girl who was taught to be conservative.


    "Just to be sure, are you talking about simple sleeping cuddling with me or that kind of sleep?" Gale asked. Before Xiaolin could reply, he added, "If it is the former, you''re wee to do so. However, if it is thetter, I have to disappoint you for now."


    Xiaolin lifted her head to look at him and blinked at the seriousness in his eyes. Honestly, she wasn''t here to go all the way. After all, she barely had any experience and wasn''t sure about many things in this regard.


    Xiaolin was simply here to make sure her master simply didn''t treat her just as a disciple all the time. But hearing his words, she was confused at first and anxious at second.


    "Why?" she simply asked.


    "That is for your own good," Gale told her.


    Xiaolin tilted her to look at him in confusion.


    "You don''t get it, do you?" Gale asked as he came closer to sit next to her. He hesitated to find the right words to describe it and get on with it.


    "Just consider this. My golden body is rock solid and can grow harder than steel, while you''re barely better than a mortal. What do you think would happen if we copte?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Xiaolin blushed all red, hearing her master saying all this so openly. But then the implication of his words hit her. Even if she has never been through it, she heard about it and knew what went through in that process.


    As she understood, her expression grew solemn as she looked at her master longingly.


    "Yes," Gale said, touching her palm softly. "That''s why I wasn''t ready to ept you. Our rtionship would only make you frustrated until you canpletely ept me."


    Gale could already see her frustration growing at his words.


    "How long will that take?" Xiaolin asked, squeaking.


    "It depends. Normally, a gold ranker can sleep with an iron ranker with some self-restraint, however, since your path is different, I''m not so sure about it."


    Xiaolin bit her lips as she heard him. Gale touched her cheek softly and made her look at him.


    "However," Gale whispered into her ears, "that doesn''t mean we can''t do anything."


    "Master," Xiaolin squeaked, feeling her master''s touch on her cheek.


    "Linlin, you''re terrible at kissing," Gale whispered into her ears again. "Want me to teach you better?"


    Gale drew his head back to stare at her eyes. Xiaolin looked at him longingly and then closed her eyes in eptance.


    Gale smiled softly, his palm still on her cheek as he drew closer. He could feel her heartbeat rising as her nostril red with hot air. The anticipation rose.


    Gale didn''t disappoint her. He drew his lips closer to her and sealed the four of them together as all the sweetness of the world burst into their mouth.


    Gale nibbled her soft, sweet lips as he leaned in, his other arm going to support her on the back. Gale''s whole body quivered, savouring the sweet texture of her lips.


    Xiaolin let him do as he pleased with her lips as he drew out his tongue to invade her mouth. She whimpered into his mouth, widening her arms to pull him closer.


    Passion rose as Xiaolin grew closer, caressing his hair. She was conservative at first, but after his tongue found hers, she let all her passion roll wildly.


    Gale caressed her back, stroking her soft, supple shape. He wanted to do more, but feared it might scare her off. Xiaolin was, after all, a maiden in heart and body.


    His tongue yed with hers. Xiaolin shivered and moaned at every little movement. She was breathless, but Gale didn''t let go of his teaching. Not yet.


    He sucked her sweet, savouring the taste as his palm went down to her waist. As he explored every new region of her body, she shivered ever so more, chest rising high and down.


    Xiaolin moaned into his mouth, shuddering in his grasp. Clearly, her maiden heart couldn''t take it anymore.


    "Um, mhm, Master. . . I can''t. . . anymore."


    Atst, Gale ended the kiss, giving her onest nibble on her lips as a trail of connected saliva dripped from their lips.


    Xiaolin was still breathless, saliva dripping down from her lips. Gale stared at her eyes as she heaved for a bit to copse on his chest,pletely overwhelmed and devastated with passion.


    But desire hadn''t left her body. It was still hot in her core, and so was it in his chest.


    "That is how we kiss," Gale told her, caressing her hair. "Did you learn something?"


    Xiaolin did something between humming and whimpering.


    "Want to try out what you learned?"

 Chapter 171 168 Discipling (3) - [NSFW]

    Xiaolin didn''t reply to her master''s remark and remained in his embrace, gasping for breath. She couldn''t meet his gaze, not after that.


    This waspletely new to her andpletely embarrassing, even when they were alone. Even when she was squeezing close to his chest.


    "Linlin?"


    "Um," Xiaolin replied meekly.


    "If you don''t want to do it, should I continue?" Gale whispered into her ears again.


    Xiaolin clutched closer to his embrace, to hear his heartbeat and her own. Her heart was definitely beating faster as she kept herself stuck to his chest for a time.


    When she finally had the nerve to meet his gaze again, she found herself sitting on hisp as he caressed her back softly, not even a little impatient to carry on with his discipling.


    Gale was easily two metres tall, and robust in size, while Xiaolin was petite with a slender build, she was easily sitting wholly in hisp.


    For a time, Xiaolin wanted nothing more than to run away from this embarrassment, but her master''s arms held her in ce, not giving her enough space to run away.


    Or perhaps she was simply giving excuses. Perhaps she just wanted another kiss, wanted her master''s touch on her body again, wanted the warmth and sweetness to spread on her body.


    Whom was she kidding, she had longed for this for so long. And when she finally got it, she couldn''t believe it. Thest couple of days went in a sh, and she couldn''t grasp how their rtionship evolved.


    Gale touched her cheek again and lifted her head to meet his loving gaze.


    "Shoud we. . ." Gale left his voice to trail off, and that was enough for the question.


    Xiaolin just stared at him longingly and then closed her eyes again. That was enough for confirmation. Xiaolin wanted his touch again to believe in it.


    Gale drew forward, but he didn''t seal her lips this time, but went for her neck. His lips made contact with her neck as Linlin shivered, and her heartbeat raced again.


    Gale didn''t let her go, he kept on kissing, sucking her neck with his lips and tongue, as Xiaolin struggled to keep her passion inside. Her arms opened wide as she embraced his head. She couldn''t keep her moan within herself as Gale moved downer to her corbone.


    "Oh, mmh, Master. . ."


    Gale''s palms wandered on her back as he showered kisses on her corbones and neck, caressing her back. His left palm went downer on her waist to find a slight opening in her nightgown.


    Gale tucked his palm in through the opening, but didn''t go for the touch. He eased himself moving to her lips again as Xiaolin returned the kiss.


    Their tongue yed with one another and finally, Gale slid in on her bare waist, stroking it gently. Xiaolin''s whole body shivered at the touch, but she was too engrossed in the kiss to care about that.


    Gale''s tongue reach for further ground in her mouth, while Xiaolin stroked his hair. Gale stroked her bare waist with his left palm, easing her maiden heart. And then he ended the kiss.


    Gale gazed at her longingly. Xiaolin had apletely smitten expression on her face as Gale kissed her neck again.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Xiaolin squealed after her master got bolder, his palm wandering on her bare back working through the nightgown. His palm brought shivers to her body and soul.


    Slowly and gently, Gale eased his other palm on her shoulder and slid off the nightgown she was wearing. Before Xiaolin knew any better her upper body was only in under clothes, provocatively showing her modest shape.


    Xiaolin squealed, drawing her palms to block his view, even though the thin silk underclothing was still on, stuck to her budding breast, highlighting her erect nipples.


    Gale said nothing. He simply kissed her shoulder, spreading warmth in her maiden heart. He eased his palms on her waist, holding her quietly as his lips moved down to her cleavage.


    Only then she felt something growing under her, hot and expanding under her butt cheeks, hitting her bottom in jolts of excitement. Xiaolin screamed inwardly, wanting to get off, but her body wouldn''t let her as she was savouring every bit of her master''s touch.


    Gale smelled her odorous fragrance, that of the sunshine and blossom. His palms couldn''t help but roam on her back and finally found the clip to undo her blouse.


    Gale undid the clip of her blouse and Xiaolin squealed through her pants.


    "Master. . . don''t. . ."


    Gale stopped, drawing back his lips from her upper chest. He looked at her, breathing rigidly, audible even to her ears.


    Xiaolin felt like she was in the grasp of a beast as she held her blouse closer to her chest.


    Gale calmed himself, breathing deeply. "Sorry," he croaked, "I couldn''t control myself."


    Xiaolin breathed in and embraced him softly. Her maiden heart wasn''t ready to go this far, this fast.


    "Linlin, I''m really sorry," Gale said softly. "We should stop this now, this is enough--"


    "Master, we should lie down now," Xiaolin invited meekly.


    "Ah, sure, do you want to stay for more?"


    Xiaolin hummed in agreement as both of them lie on the bed, side by side. Gale spread his arm wide on her side so that she would be brave enough to squeeze closer to him.


    However, Xiaolin was working to calm her maiden heart. This was too much for her, a girl who never knew what the opposite sex''s touch could feel like. She couldn''t keep up with the intensity.


    "I''m sorry, Master," she whispered atst. "I have never. . . I mean, I have never been held like this. . . this is too much for me. I''m sorry."


    "It''s alright," Gale whispered, calming the fire in hisher region. "As I said, you''re not prepared."


    Xiaolin groaned as if didn''t like the sound of it. She squeezed closer to him and took his arm as her pillow. She grabbed his other palm in her palms, squeezing them slightly.


    "Master, Can you hold me tight and kiss me again?"

 Chapter 172 169 Discipling (4) - [NSFW]

    Xiaolin remained there, stuck to him for a bit, exchanging bits of words. None of them could believe they met each other barely for a month and a little more, as they grew so closer to each other so easily.


    Unknowingly, Xiaolin squeezed closer, her head on his chest and one of her legs on top of his leg. She still had his palm in her grasp.


    None of them were sleeping, though. And it seemed sleep was a long way from there.


    "Master, can you hold me tight and kiss me again?" Xiaolin asked after a long while. Or it was just after a little while, but felt like a long? She wasn''t sure.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Hmm, do it slowly, like the first time you did."


    Gale obliged, sliding a little to meet her lips. He didn''t go for her tongue at first, but eased himself with her lips, stroking them gently.


    Xiaolin''s legs squeezed between his. He wasn''t sure if the girl was doing it purposefully, but she was definitely making it harder for him to keep it in his pants.


    Her pure charms were already overwhelming enough, and after her advancement, her womanly charms grew as well. The only regret for him now was that he couldn''t go all the way.


    As Gale eased himself with her lips, Xiaolin took the initiation for the first time, drawing her tongue to his lips. She tucked a couple of experimental movements with her tongue and grew bolder to invade his mouth.


    For this time, Gale left her in control as she yed with his tongue. Her arms squeezed his fingers harder as she tucked them closer to her breasts on her own. Gale didn''t object as she clutched her palm to her chest, on top of her heart. It was beating rapidly, contesting with her condition during her early advancement phase.


    Gale felt her passion growing through the bond as Xiaolin squeezed his palm downer toward her belly and onto her abdomen.


    She might have led his palm to herher region, her most private part, but she stopped at the lineage mark as a jolt of current spread through their body.


    Xiaolin yelped into his mouth in surprise as she broke the kiss. She wasn''t satisfied, though. So she continued to do what Gale did with her, starting with kissing his neck.


    She left his palm and slid them into his tunic, wandering all over his muscr shape, feeling his muscles groping them. She found the bond mark and send jolts of current through them unknowingly as Gale squeezed her closer.


    The fire in Gale rose again, and he pulled her closer, squeezing her chest to his. His palms went for her blouse again and this time, Xiaolin didn''t get scared.


    Gale tucked off her blouse, lying her budding breast bare to his eyes. It was a feast for his eyes as Gale moved on top of her. His palms were on both sides of her, capturing her in.


    Gale looked at her as Xiaolin closed her eyes in eptance. Gale forgot himself in her supple shape again.


    He drew his mouth straight to her budding breast, even though they were modest, it looked ample with her slender figure. What''s more, Xiaolin has perky nipples, which brought a new height of allure to herself.


    Gale gobbled her pink nipples, stroking them furiously with his lips and tongue as Xiaolin moaned under him. Her legs wandered wildly as if a fish out of the water, her chest rising and copsing at a fast tempo.


    Gale never had a girl reacting this wildly to his touch. Then again, Xiaolin never had anyone''s touch before.


    Gale drew his left palm to grope her free bosom, rubbing her perky nipple as he sucked onto the other. After warming the breast with his mouth, Gale moved to the other breast, sucking them with the same intensity, while his palm stroked her t belly.


    Xiaolin shivered at his touch, and squeezed her legs, rubbing together as she felt the heat.


    Gale moved his palm on her back, reaching for her peach bottom. As warmth spread on her butt cheeks, Xiaolin squealed louder. Gale sucked, licking the perfect texture of breasts, and kneaded the squishy bottom furiously. Xiaolin couldn''t wait anymore.


    Something came out of herher region as she lurched upwards in the climax. She moaned louder, breathless, fiery hot all over her body as the passion reached its climax. . .and finally satiated.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Master. . . No more. . . I can''t. . . anymore. . ."


    Gale could already see Xiaolin had reached her limit. Even though he wanted to do more, he knew he had to stop there. This was as far as their first night went.


    Gale moved away from her and pulled her on top of him, leaving her to rest on his chest. Xiaolin panted on his broad chest as Gale stroked her hair gently. Her upper body was stillid bare in the open, but Gale only stoked her hair and her back as Xiaolin calmed down.


    Gale guessed he really did it. There was no going back from this, not that he ever would want to.


    Gale slept, keeping the fairy closer to his chest and wrapping themselves in a nket.


    ***


    The little disturbance on her bed woke her up as Xiaolin opened her eyes blearily to find a pair of blue eyes staring at her.


    Xiaolin blinked multiple times and even rubbed her eyelids with her finger, but the view didn''t change. Instead, she saw it more clearly. The blue-eyed man still stared at her with love in his eyes, with a smile on his lips.


    Xiaolin closed her eyes and opened them again.


    "Master!" she squealed, hiding inside the nket, clutching closer to his body.


    All the stuff she experiencedst night became clear in her head as she blushed. Opening her eyes, she found her upper bodypletely naked, all the clothes from there peeled off as strokes of redness spread all over her neck, belly, and bosoms.


    Her master had explored her upper body thoroughly, as these red marks were the evidence of it. She sniffed to find her master smell on herself.


    ''It really happened. It really happened,'' Xiaolin squealed inwardly, fidgeting in delight and embarrassment.


    Thankfully, Gale didn''t embarrass her more. He got off the bed and straighten his tunic.


    "Linlin, you almost missed your cycling session," Gale told her.


    Xiaolin''s heart fluttered as she slid her head out of the nket, blushing all the way.


    "Prepare quick, we''ll start in half an hour." Saying that, Gale drew closer to her and kissed her lips.


    Xiaoiln waspletely taken aback and was a bitte to y her role, but her master made the short kiss a bit longer, giving her a chance to help herself. She savoured the taste of it as her mind whirled, recording it into her long-term memory to ever keep it this sweet.


    Then her master changed his personapletely to a dignified Master and went away.


    Xiaolin squealed, rolling on the bed wildly in delight.


    ______________


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 Chapter 173 Interlude 4.1

    Ksh crept out of his workshopte in the morning, yawning tantly even during working hours. Things be a lot easier when you''re the owner of the ce. Well, he was a co-owner, but you got the point.


    Besides, it wasn''t like he was procrastinating or wasting time. He had been working tirelessly all night and barely managed to get a couple of hours of sleep in the morning. That level of dedication only a few of the top-level executives manage in hispany.


    Thankfully, his advancement into Gold rank made his work a lot easier.


    Well, that was the easier part. Now he had to look after the harder part, which was to direct other people at their work.


    Ksh got out of the building, stretching his limbs directly towards the outside where he put over a dozen artists to draw a specific image that would be used to advertise their product.


    Advertisements were never really a thing of this world, it was simply showcasing the items for VIP customers to see. However, his partner had a different approach to business.


    Thus the artists. So far, most of them have been a letdown. Although his team had collected a few images which could be used for the advertisement, none of them had the feeling his partner directed him for.


    That''s why the artists were still working.


    Ksh was ready to yell at those painters for the third time this week as he got there, but his attention was drawn to somewhere else.


    A person with zing gold hair, floating in the air with an uncertain expression on her face as she watched a dozen artists working outside. She was in a blue cloak, the hood hiding her unique feature, but her presence and beauty couldn''t be concealed from everyone.


    Maya of the Celestial Radiance was an angel in lineage and presence as well. Although she did something with her aura, which made her seem less of what was. Ksh wasn''t too certain how such a thing was possible, but she was a unique individual after all.


    Like how she detected his gaze even though she was engrossed in the painting. Well, that was a trick many others could do as well, including his partner, and he was probably the reason the literal angel had shown herself.


    There ain''t no hoes for Poor Ksh, as Gale used to say to him, which was mostly true he supposed.


    Maya didn''t wait for him to appear near her. She flew to him in a blink of an eye which could make his stomach churn. Well, both of them were gold rankers, but Maya outssed him and most practitioners of the same rank by a long margin.


    Ksh was about to greet her with borate movements of traditional importance, but Maya cut him off with a question of her own.


    "What kind of nonsense is this?" she gestured at the group of artists working on their wide canvases.


    "They are hired to paint for ourpany," Ksh answered straightly, giving her a bow. Then he recalled Maya was an artist herself, a highly acimed one at that. "If you''re worried about their livelihood, then you can rest assured, Lady of the Dawn. They arepensated enough to be worth double of what they used to make on their own."


    That was to say, even the double was hardly anything substantial, considering artists barely earn peanuts if they weren''t the highly proimed ones.


    "That is not the whole problem," Maya said, turning to him with her frown.


    Ksh looked at her face carefully, and could individually see the impressiveness of her countenance, the golden eyes with refined golden eyshes, the sharp nose, full rosy lips, and so on. However, whenever he tried to gaze up at her entire exterior, all his mind coulde up with someone average. Like one of his female workers.


    Ksh didn''t know the point of hiding herself. He could understand hiding from her countless fans, but shouldn''t she care about the perfect exterior she was given?


    "Are you even listening to me?" Maya said, frowning at him.


    "Sorry," Ksh was easily embarrassed, just knowing he was talking to arguably the most beautiful woman in the world. "What are you saying again?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Did my junior apprentice-brother put you up for this?" Maya asked, her voice full of disapproval. "I should have known when he stole my painting from master''s collection, but I hadn''t thought he would fall so low, even counterfeiting a work of art just to earn some money."


    "Counterfeiting? Lady of the Dawn, what are you talking about?" Ksh said with an incredulous expression on his face. "Well, perhaps you''re mistaken about my partner, mydy. Even though Gale is callous and jokes a lot, he has the utmost respect for the artist. You should''ve known that since he had given all the credits to the designated artist whose books and works he tranted for our world."


    Maya clicked her tongue. "I know Gale better than you," she said, "and I also know how much he hates when people giarise other people''s work to earn fame. He had embarrassed grandmasters for this."


    "Then what''s the problem?"


    "My junior apprentice-brother would never try to counterfeit a piece of art," Maya said with certainty, "unless it was to piss me off and he had reason to be pissed at me."


    Kalesh blinked at her absolute certainty.


    "You know how he survived a few months ago and I. . . well, most of us hadn''t managed to give him the attention he deserved, which probably pissed him off."


    "So he ran away," Kaleshpleted her sentence.


    "He did," Maya said, "stealing everything valuable he found at hand."


    Ksh whistled. That sounds just right about Gale.


    "Anyway, what''s with all those paintings then?" Maya asked. "Why did all of them seem a poor copy of my "Golden Sun"?"


    "That you have to ask the artists," Ksh said, with evident fury in his tone. "I yelled at them again and again, I wasn''t looking for an artistic brilliance like that of Maya of the Dawn, but somehow they had it in their head when I told them to make images of people watching the setting sun. Ugh, it all made so sense when Gale pitched the idea."


    Maya frowned.


    "Let me exin," Ksh said as he brought out a metal watch from his dimension storage. "This is our new product that would hit the market in theing month."


    Maya took it from him and examined it with her eyes as they pierced through the facade of the anti-script. She found someplicated diagrams of scripts in them, but nothing tooplicated that she wouldn''t be able to replicate with just one look.


    "What is this?"


    "Fatewatch 1," Ksh said with a proud smile. "Or I like to call it Spirit watch, anyway, your junior brother was hell-bent on the name, Fate Watch 1, so Fatewatch it is."


    "What does it do?" Maya asked, frowning, even though she could make out some of its features.


    Ksh pointed towards the paintings, recalling the pitch Gale discussed him with.


    "Are you still living in the Stone Age?" he asked, mimicking a weird tone of a salesperson from a different world. "No? Then why are you still measuring time by watching the sun? Miss and gentleman, I''m sure you aren''t a caveman. Then why are you measuring time as one?


    "Get your hands on our new Fatewatch and never miss a single moment of your life. Fatewatch, Series 1. Your time in your hand."

 Chapter 174 Interlude 4.2

    "Get your hands on our new Fatewatch and never miss a single moment of your life. Fatewatch, Series 1. Your time in your hand."


    Maya had a peculiar expression on her face as she watched him.


    Ksh finished and waited for her to be star-struck at the brilliance of his pitch and the product, but unfortunately, none of that happened. She simply looked at him for once and returned to examining the item.


    "I knew my delivery is bad," Ksh grumbled. "Gale used it so efficiently that he even convinced me to build this product that I might have frowned upon if someone else pitched the idea. Practitioner, worried about time? They spend day after day in sequestered closer door cycling. What''s worth time for them?"


    "So that''s why the paintings," Maya intoned. "But none of them showing the silhouettes were measuring time looking at the sun. It''s more like they are enjoying it."


    Ksh groaned. "Tell me about it."


    Maya chuckled. "Well, at least the products look good," she said. "Other than the time, it can measure one''s progress in spirit arts, heart rate, blood pressure and many other small features. I can already see aspiring practitionersparing themselves with this device."


    "We could have put a lot more features," Ksh said again, getting back his pride after his half-assed delivery. "Gale nned to make it something greater, quoting him, "One device to rule them all". He was giving really a menacing vibe when he said that. Thankfully, we hardly have the technology or fund to be sessful in his vision.


    "However, we could have put in the new way of visual recording function, which is a thousand times more easily essible than a recording crystal, then there was the close distance chat feature and a few useless stuff."


    "Wait, did you just say you guys have found a better way of recording visuals?"


    "That we did, however, Gale said our world isn''t ready for it," Ksh said, high on enthusiasm. "That''s why we refrained from poprising it this time."


    Maya frowned, contemting. "That was probably for the best," she said. "Anyway, although your product is impressive, and I wish you sess, though I would ask for you to go a different route in advertising. I really don''t want to see copies of my paintings all over the realm once this gets poprised."


    A brilliant idea dawned on Ksh as he heard her. "Well, perhaps you can solve the issue," he said hesitatingly, "I''m sure an artist of your caliber can deliver what these half-baked wannabes cannot."


    "Hold on a second," Maya said, arching her eyebrow. "Did I hear that right? Did you just suggest that I make the art for the advertisement? Do you know how many kings I rejected when they decided to give me royal limation? Do you know how many grandmasters and sages wanted to make their portraits and how many I rejected?"


    Ksh flustered too easily.


    "Good, you don''t have my junior brother''s shamelessness at the very least," Dawn chuckled at the new moment, breaking out of her serious persona. "Anyway, I would have helped you out of your dilemma if I had time and knew better about this topic. Only one person I know was good at this kind of business idea, and I''m here to discuss something about him."


    "That I know the moment I saw you." Ksh coughed. "So how can this lowly Artificer help the Brilliant Maya of the Dawn?"


    "Lowly?" Maya arched an eyebrow. "If I didn''t know better, I would have epted that, Ksh, but I know what you''re cooking up with my junior brother. It may seem like some lowly scribing work in the beginning, but I can easily grasp where you''re going with this."


    "Hopefully, we won''t fail," Ksh acknowledged her im with a little fear in his heart. He was merely the brain behind the work while Gale was for executing them to the market. But since the outworlder disappeared, he had to take care of everything. Ksh was sure he wasn''t doing a great job of it.


    Their n was to erect an empire and make life better for the masses. Ksh was hardly up for anything that isn''t rted to scripting, to be honest.


    Gale had the experience of another world where the tech revolution happened. He knew how to deal with people, but Kalesh didn''t. He was simply an artificer who wasn''t even good at orthodox spirit arts.


    "So, is there any news of him?" Ksh asked, sounding hopeful. "You know, his brute subjects came to visit me a couple of times. They have been getting anxious about their Al''Caizer."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "That is the reason I''m here," Maya said, deliberately slowing her tone. "Gale, before he disappeared, he came to meet you. Is that correct?"


    "Of course, he questioned me for hours, mostly rted to our view and progress in the business," Ksh said. "I guess I didn''t understand why he was asking all that, but now it made sense. He wanted to see if we''re going in the direction he envisioned for our littlepany."


    Gale put a lot of effort into building hispany. He seriously wanted it to flourish, even when he wasn''t there to look after it.


    "Apart from that," Maya asked again. "Did he talk about something very specific, like where he would like to visit? Or where he was heading after you?"


    Ksh frowned, considering how to answer this. The problem was nothing specific came to his mind.


    "Ksh, this is very serious," Maya said. "If you know about Gale''s injury, you better tell me all about it. His life and death and many others depend on it. And I absolutely need to find him before the Sindhi folks do. You don''t know what is at stake. I need to find him as soon as possible before he does something he might regret all his life."


    Ksh wasn''t good at reading people, but he knew there were a few people Gale trusted with his life, and this woman before him stood right at the top of the list.


    Besides, it wasn''t like he had concrete information to offer her.


    Ksh considered and refreshed his memory. Thankfully, that was his strong suit, as most Master Artisans had a near-perfect memory.


    "He didn''t talk about anything specific, save for the ces he would like to visit at least once in his life. Like he mentioned the ces of myth and legends he stumbled upon, and asked me if I knew anything about the First House of Spirit arts."


    "First house of spirit arts," Maya repeated. "Yes, he wanted to visit there, and I promised to lead him there one day."


    "Well, I showed him all the information our organisation had on the first house," Ksh continued. "Like their way of close cultivation, why it is so hard to find their location, about their oracle, and their prediction of the cmity."


    "The Oracle," Maya said, her voice jolting with excitement. "Why haven''t I made the connection? Yes, this makes sense now."


    "What makes sense now?"


    Maya lifted her head to look at him. "Thank you, Ksh. Good luck with whatever you''re nning."


    And with that, she disappeared from his sight.


    "I guess I''ll fire these lots of wannabes," he muttered,ing for the artists.


    ____________


    Almost Forgot about thanking the great reviewers.


    A huge appreciation for Daoist635165, Miki9797, Daoist841747, Adghgf for their reviews.


    We have 15 reader reviews now, still a low number. Anyone wants to help there, you know where the tab to review is.

 Chapter 175 170 Saarya (1)

    I was delighted to no end. This was the first time in this forsaken world I found something totch onto. Even though I knew my grasp over the magic, the vital energy, was superficial, I couldn''t control my emotion from running wild.


    That was probably why I was having trouble getting the same vibe again,ing back to my quarters.


    But I knew I wouldn''t be stopped this way. No matter the price, I would get that vibe again. Thankfully, the biggest price for this seemed to be only my sleep for the night.


    Even though it might create trouble for my day''s work, I carried on with the meditation because this was more important, because I deemed it necessary for my sanity and freedom. So I carried on with meditating.


    I didn''t know when I got the vibe back, but I was certain it was quitete, probably hours past the middle of the night. I didn''t remember how and when I felt the energy coursing through my body again, but I almost lost it again with me skidding into celebrations.


    Thankfully, I had enough senses to cut off my celebratory dance and focus back on the strand of energy. However, as I started, an impaling migraine started to grow in my head. It felt like a fiery needle pinned against my head, drilling in ever so slowly to shove me to the brink of insanity.


    "Ugh," I groaned, my voice shivering as the scream escaped from my lips. The pain was more mental than physical, I thought. I tried to escape it by focusing wholeheartedly on my meditation, on the strand of energy, but that was not to be.


    Not for today. Before I knew it, I was groaning on the ground. The stabbing pain was still there, as I still held onto the strand of energy. Barely.


    I clutched the cor in my neck with the intention of ripping it off, but I knew I didn''t have the power to do it. And even if I had that power, it would kill me first before I could rip it apart.


    There were only two things I could have done at that moment. Give up and drown in self-pity and the misery of envement, or hold on to the energy and drown in the excruciating stabbing pain in my head.


    Both paths were filled with misery, while one was slow and long-term, the other was instantaneous. Of course, there was no assurance of sess in the instantaneous misery as well.


    But my choice was firm. I chose instantaneous misery. Well, it was the path of freedom and holding onto the energy.


    I hold on to it for thirty-two breaths and that was when my vision went ck. I fell unconscious, cursing myself for my incapability and at the cruelty.


    Then my angel woke me up as I found myself sleeping in herp. I blinked multiple times, finding her picturesque, serene exterior, looking up. I want to make sure I wasn''t simply hallucinating, that she was really here.


    As I was blinking and pinching my stomach to make sure it was all real, she opened her mouth for the first time.


    "Perhaps it was all a mistake," her voice drifted softly to my ears, "but I can''t just pull back after giving someone hope."


    That was when I knew I wasn''t hallucinating.


    "I seeded," I said, almost tearing up. "I found peace."


    "You did," she said, rubbing her soothing palm over my forehead. "Although barely, you seeded."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I seeded," I repeated, tearing up as she held me in ce.


    It took me more than a couple of minutes, no matter how hard I tried to stop being emotional in front of her. I was a grown man, and it looked bad for our first meeting after that night, which seemed so many days ago.


    "It''s okay, cry," she said, soothing me, and caressing my hair. "They haven''t broken you. You can cry all you want. They don''t hold any power over you. No more than you know it already."


    Her voice seemed to have a certain magic of healing as I burst louder. She bent her head to soothe me as I cried.


    A couple of minutester, I sat upright, even though I wanted to rest in herp for all eternity. She sat face to face with me, still with her serene presence, even though a cor of a simr build to mine wastched onto her neck.


    I didn''t notice it at first nce at first notice the other night, but it seemed her cor was a bit different. An old version, maybe? I didn''t know, but I knew for certain she could use vital energy even with the cortched onto her neck.


    I wanted to get into the talk of vital energy right at that moment, but I forced myself to ask a different question that I still don''t have an answer to.


    "How did you know I seeded?" I asked, "and came so quick?"


    The angelic woman with ebony ck hair smiled. "That''s a woman''s secret," she said. "Perhaps I''ll tell you one day if we can get out of the confines."


    I nodded, though I thought she would give a straight answer. Well, I had no false impression that someone like her would spy on me. So the answer probably was:


    "Magic?" I asked.


    "That''s an overly simplified exnation," she said, "but fundamentally, yes."


    "So, are you going to teach me magic?" I asked, burning with hope.


    "Straight to business, huh," the otherworldly woman in ve clothes chuckled. "You don''t even want to know about my identity, not even my name?"


    I bit my lips toe up with a reply. It came out as something incoherent, jumbling multiple words together.


    She smiled. "You look like you''re in yourte teenage years, but you have the enthusiasm of an early teen," she said. "I guess there''s no fault in having some enthusiasm in youth, even when you''re a ve."


    I frowned. "You talk like you''re different."


    "I am," the womanughed. "I may look like I am in my early twenties, butpared to your age, I''m Old."

 Chapter 176 171 Saarya (2)

    ". . . I''m Old."


    My frown deepened. Of course, they have something to increase longevity. Why I haven''t thought of that?


    "How old is Old exactly?" I asked, interested.


    The woman arched an eyebrow. "Looks like you have much to learn yet," she said. "Don''t you know it''s bad manners to ask a woman''s age? But for the records, I''m easily several times older than you."


    I swallowed.


    "Yeah," she smiled, and I wasn''t sure if she was ying with me or not. "For your world I''m ancient."


    I had no idea if she was telling the truth or simply joking, but it easily frustrated me. That seemed to enliven her, which was a win, I guessed.


    "Enough about me. Tell me about yourself again. What were you before you were summoned?"


    "I was a regr student. . . ." I answered her as truthfully as I could. I couldn''t find anything in my memory that could excite or even impress her. If she really was as ancient as she told me, she probably had encountered hundreds of the likes of me.


    "Gale Joseph Paul Carpenter," she repeated my name, "a Christian name. Most people barely have one good name, and you got three. Which one would you like for me to call you?"


    "Just Gale is fine," I said. "And how should I address you?"


    "Hmm," she hummed, exhaling. "Let me think. I had many names over the years. Let me get one that won''t be a mouthful for you to pronounce. . . Oh, I got it. Pick one between Aariama, and Saarya."


    I furrowed my brows. "What do they mean?"


    "Well, they have different meanings," Saarya or Aariama lifted her eyebrows, "but most of the time I interpreted thetter as a Symbolism of Purity¡ªwhich I''m not particrly a fan of¡ªwhile the former means nobledy, or preferably High Lady."


    "But you''re fine with me calling you either of them?" I asked.


    Saarya held an expression that showed she couldn''t care less.


    "Then I''ll keep both names in my mind," I said with a smile. "I will call Saarya when I want thedy of purity, and Aariama when I''m looking for a highdy."


    "Thankfully, I haven''t given you more of my names, or you would have asked for more out of this poor woman."


    "Well, that''s very Aariama of you, mydy," I replied to her, which made her chuckle.


    "Ahh, this was as much human interaction I had for years," she said. "How much I have missed this!"


    I lifted my eyebrows at her idlement as she carried on.


    "Anyway, enough with the introduction. Let''s get a couple of things straight," Aariama said as her voice became hard. "If you want to learn from me, you have to recognise two things."


    I nodded, already ready to agree with whatever conditions she had, but I chose to show my wiser side¡ªthe mature part¡ªthat simply wouldn''t agree to a pretty woman and lucrative deals on magic. Well, not on first notice.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "First, you can''t rely on me," Saarya said. "I''m confined in this hell for longer than most people, and I''m almostpletely powerless to do anything about it."


    My eyes went as I heard her. Then what her shows of magic were for? If she could do something like heal me, she should have other abilities, no? Or it didn''t work that way. Honestly, I wasn''t sure.


    Saarya chuckled. "Vital energy, or Qi as most people call it these days, isn''t everything. My path to Qi is restricted way more than your A''caen."


    "What!?" I said aloud. "A''caen has ess to vital energy."


    "How else do you think he survived the Crystal detonation?" Saarya said, holding no emotion. "Of course, I wasn''t present, but I''m pretty sure it was simply a y to out-manoeuvre the guards."


    I sucked in a frigid breath. Wow, that changed everything. I mean, a couple of hours again, I waspletely convinced they had no overarching n to free themselves of very, but Saarya''s words gave me more perspective to think about.


    I guess it reminded me of what my father taught me once. People are more than what they show to others.


    "How can you be sure of that?" I asked. "How the guards didn''t know, but you are aware of it?"


    "The answer is simple," Saarya said with a rueful smile. "I''m simply better than the guards at certain things, even when I don''t have ess to my power. The same is true for A''caen, though he probably doesn''t know of my existence, and I would like to keep it that way. I have done enough to make people forget about me, but I won''t be surprised if they still remember me after what I did."


    There seemed to be a great story behind that, and I was about to question her more on the topic, but Saarya wasn''t finished.


    "Don''t ask more questions on that topic," Saarya said, cutting me off before I could begin. "Honesty, you won''t understand, and I''m not ready to express more about myself."


    "I guess that''s fair," I said. "Feel free to act as you please. You don''t owe me anything. But it was the other way around."


    "It''s better that you remember that," Saarya said with a smile. "I wille to collect that debt someday. By then I will make sure you''re indebted to me for a few of your eternity."


    "Anything if you can help me get out of this hellhole," I said.


    "I''ll hold on to your words then," Saarya said. "Don''t forget me after you freed yourself."


    "Never," I said, crossing my heart. "Anyway, what about the second part of your conditions?"


    Saarya frowned, as if shepletely forgot about it. Then a look of suppressed distress appeared on her face, torn between if she should say it or just get on with teaching me magic.


    I shuffled in my ce as my mind filled with anticipation.


    "Gale," Saarya said atst, "you must not rely on me and you must not trust me. Notpletely."


    ________


    Drop power stones / golden tickets / review the book to get it to a wider audience.

 Chapter 177 172 Saarya (3)

    Now that those got out of the way, we finally could talk about magic. Well, spirit arts in her words, but I see no difference. Anyway, although I had a few questions, I would like to ask about what she told me, why not to trust her and more, her expression told my questions about that topic won''t be indulged.


    So I could only give up. I was curious, but it wasn''t that she owed me anything.


    "Now, where should we start with spirit arts?" I asked, growing in anticipation. "More importantly, is it really possible to wield Qi with this cortched onto your neck?"


    Well, I saw her do it, and she mentioned A''caen could do it, but that was only two people, not enough odds when the numbers of ves were in the thousands.


    "It is possible to work around it," Saarya said with a contemptuous look on her face. "Especially for those with poor inferior Qi suppression cors. Thankfully, they hadn''t seen you as a threat, or they would havetched you on with a better cor."


    I considered her words. So there were different levels of cors. Well, that exined why hers was different in build. Saarya''s cor looked ancient, and she didn''t seem to disy it all that much, hidden behind her wildly tangled ebony hair.


    "So what is the difference between the inferior and the greater ones?"


    "You can guess toe up with the answer, but for the sake of saving time, I''ll indulge you with the answer. The inferior ones are easier to build and cheap. They simply suppress the Qi with pressure over your cognitive abilities. You felt a stabbing pain when you tried to draw Qi, right?"


    "Was that it?"


    "No, the pain gets even harder," Saarya said, making me question what was harder than what I felt. "The pain is proportional to the energy the cored person wields. Of course, there was a limit, but most people don''t survive if they draw more energy to threaten another person. To put more perspective, you barely held onto one-hundredth of what it takes to kill a man."


    I swallowed, feeling the impossible mountain ahead of me. I passed out barely on 1 per cent of the cor''s effect. Well, it was probably better than 1 per cent, but still not a number to be excited about.


    "How do other people survive with more energy?" I asked, pretty sure a couple more per cent would make me dull like one of my neighbours. "How do you survive, or the A''caen?"


    "Of course, there are ways to cultivate the mind," Saarya said. "And there are ways to block the psychological effect on the mind. That was exactly what I would teach you first if we were to go anywhere from this."


    I nodded, although I didn''t see any point if all I could do was die after killing a man. Besides, it would take me months of painful training to even that good to kill a man with Qi. But I wasn''t going toin out loud when I got the chance to learn magic. Well, spirit arts.


    "Don''t think too hard about it," Saarya said, "your cor is barely a poor inferior Qi suppression cor. I can dull its suppression feature exerting some of my force."


    My eyes went wide as she said that as words came out of my mouth before I could get a hold of them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What! Really? How, I mean, can you do it now?"


    "I can do it now," Saarya said, "but I won''t do it."


    "Why?" the question got out of my mouth before I knew it.


    Saarya thought for a moment to give an answer that could satisfy me, knowing it was probably the biggest thing she could do to free me of the cor. Well, she probably didn''t trust me enough and believed I wouldn''t be able to keep her existence a secret.


    "You will be like a kid with superpowers," she said, "there are many things that can go wrong with your callousness, so I wished for you to first have self-control. You can try other things after that, besides the lesser suppression cor was a great tool to cultivate mental fortitude.


    "Qi can be many things on the right hand. It can cure a world of all its misery or destroy the user if he believes it is the answer to every problem."


    I barely understood anything when she first told me that, but remembering that, I believe she was right to put me through that. I easily have problems with self-restraints, even to this day. I wondered what I would have done if she hadn''t restricted my training.


    Well, I would probably jump at the guards, just leaning a trick on Qi.


    "What do you mean by the cor being a great tool to cultivate mental fortitude?" I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion. I really didn''t like the sound of that.


    "There was only one certain way to develop mental fortitude," Saarya said. Her eyes gleamed with something other than what her name suggested. "There''s no better way to train mental fortitude other than putting yourself through mental stress."


    I blinked as the revtion of her words dawned on me. "Wait, hold on," I sucked in a deep breath. "You are not suggesting that I keep on meditating through that excruciating pain, are you?"


    "See, you already got it."


    I shot her a t look, but there was no change in her expression.


    "Don''t you have any other way?" I tried, clenching my jaw, recalling what I felt a couple of hours ago. I really don''t want to pass out every second I try to draw the power. There was nothing great about that, even if you have something supernatural growing inside of you.


    "Of course, there are ways," Saarya said, narrowing her eyes, "but do you think they were avable to us with our status as ves? The guards would kill you, even learning you can grasp Qi. Now tell me, how do you want to practise?"

 Chapter 178 173 Saarya (4)

    "The guards would kill you, just on learning you can grasp Qi. Now tell me, how do you want to practise?"


    Well, she had a point. Besides, she suggested it was the best way to develop mental fortitude, i supposed, this was the right training to adopt in these circumstances.


    "Fine," I said, resigning, "I''ll be in your care."


    "Well," Saarya said with a smile, probably enjoying every moment of my stress. "It won''t be that bad. I will block a significant portion of the psychological pain from affecting you so that you can have the right amount of training before you can proceed to the next thing."


    That calmed me a lot, although I was wrong after we proceeded to the training. Well, it couldn''t be called training, not after what I experienced. Even though Saarya assisted, touching my forehead and somehow blocking a significant part of the piercing pain, I barely managed to hold on for five minutes.


    That was my limit currently. If you understand the pain, you''d understand that. The pain simply didn''t go away after doing its damage. It umted on my nerves as I hold on to the power.


    "About five minutes," Saarya said as I groaned on the rocky ground. "You did better than I hoped, but I guess this is the end for today."


    Saarya was about to leave in the night, but opening the door, she turned her head to look at me.


    "Also, don''t force yourself too much. A practitioner''s mind is the most delicate territory. Many things could go wrong without the right treatment of it. Simply refrain from practising anymore, it might break your mind. Since we barely started, you wouldn''t want that, would you?"


    "Ugh," I answered with a half-groan. Honestly, I barely managed to hear anything, something about not overdoing it.


    Well, she should be rest assured, I barely have the power to do it again.


    ***


    A week passed, and I could hold on to the energy for ten whole minutes now. Saarya came into my room almost every night to help me practice. She was more reliable than she expressed herself to be. I would have even enjoyed a girl''spany pretty as hers, but with the training, I could barely act rigidly.


    Even though I already doubled my mental fortitude, I wasn''t any bit more satisfied. This was simply putting myself through excruciating mental pain, without knowing what I would get at the end of it.


    Those roughshes were for certain if I failed, that''s for sure. After our quota increased by another portion, I missed one day after overdoing it after Saarya left. It left me sprawling on the ground, incapable of even keeping the thought process intact for a certain amount of time.


    Thankfully, Saarya hadn''t found out, though I knew she suspected something, but something else on her mind stopped her from yelling at me.


    Well, there was another thing that was on my mind for thest couple of days. Other than Saarya, the elderly doctor was helping me every day as well, letting me absorb most of his energy toplete the mark on my wrist.


    As they had thought, the mark had been growing in my palm. It wasn''t a simple thin spiral mark anymore, but it was a thick mark that others could notice from a distance away. Well, I wrapped it with some clothes just in case others take an interest in it as well.


    I only want the right people to take interest in it, which included Saarya, but the Higdy mostly ignored the mark even when I shed it before her eyes. She barely grew contemtive with that.


    Well, that was until today.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Looks like you''re not that far away from your first manifestation of fate mark," Saarya said, making my heart race. "Hmm, this is going to be tricky."


    "Really? Why?"


    "Why do you suppose?" She asked.


    "The cor," I answered, pointing to the cortched onto my neck.


    Saarya shook her head. "It suppresses you from using the fate mark''s power, but that was it. The problem is you yourself." Saarya thought for a moment to give a better exnation. "Spirit arts are vast. However, there are a few simple rules to it. For starters, a fate lock can''t manifest in a practitioner''s body until he reaches Copper. Not naturally."


    "Copper?"


    "The first step of spirit arts."


    I narrowed my eyes. Through her tone, I could easily detect, I was far from hitting the mark. However, the reality was dimmer than I hoped.


    "It takes a copper to use even a minor power of the fate mark. Sadly, you barely made it to initiate," Saarya said. "Well, I couldn''t put all the me onto you, the circumstances being as it is. Looks like we have to change your ways of practising now."


    My eyes gleamed as I heard her. "You mean," I asked, unable to contain the hope from shining in my eyes, "you''ll break the restriction on the cor."


    Saarya arched an eyebrow and sighed. "I would still like to keep you at it for a couple more weeks, but with the circumstances as it is, you can''t waste any more time."


    "Yeahhh!" I lunged into the air as a celebratory gesture. Well, the gesture wasn''t the right term, as it was something between a gesture and a celebratory move.


    "Please, don''t make me question my decisions," Saarya said, groaning.


    She probably wasn''t aware, but I wasn''t simply celebrating because I could grasp the Qi without restriction. There was a significant part of me delighted to no end after learning the excruciating mental pain would end today.


    "So, are you going to do that now?"


    "Today, but before that, you need to grasp another thing about spirit arts." Saarya knew best how to dampen my mood. "Also, don''t expect me to break the restriction in one go. I haven''t done it in ages, and my power dwindled more than what I would like to admit."


    ________


    Check out the new book: Apotheosis Online: Birth of the Virtuous Sinner


    Found a new way to be more productive, (Writing during my day job). Hopefully, I''ll be able to update the two books together.

 Chapter 179 174 Saarya (5)

    "What I''m going to teach you now is the fundamentals of everything you''ll learn about spirit arts," Saarya said, moving around him. "Pay close attention to it, if you miss something ask me. Don''t guess your way to an answer."


    I listened to her carefully from my position on the ground. I was already hyped to get the restriction off my mind, but learning she was going to teach me something important, I exerted all my effort to learn that.


    "Cycling the energy through your core is the first and most essential step of cultivating spirit arts," Saarya continued.


    "So basically, it is the way to move the Qi?" I asked, unsure.


    "And to umte more Qi," Saarya added as I swallowed my breath. "Now, there are countless ways to cycle, but the exnation behind them was just about the same. Drawing energy into your body and making them your own, through the process.


    "There are borate and overarching techniques and arts into this, but even the basic entry to visualisation could start you up with cycling.


    "Visualisation and finding peace are the keys to cycling. Start with the images you''re familiar with. I''ll guide you after that."


    I nodded and closed my eyes, imagining droplets of water pouring from one cup to another. I imagined them vividly and focused only on them, as they became natural to me. Almost.


    "Good, you''re getting there," Saarya said. "Now, don''t try to do anything. Just memorise the pathways I''m about to show you."


    A foreign Qi invaded my body, only a few strands of it as they started to move quietly through some imaginary lines. I inhaled deeply and carved the information into my brain¡ªwhere I was feeling the sensation, where it was going.


    "Spirit arts are broad and can be considered endless, however, there are twelve known steps to us," Saarya''s soothing voice entered into my ears. "In ancient times, it was known as the "Twelve Steps to Godhood", althoughmon practitioners tend to touch divinity in the ninth step.


    "These twelve steps, each one of them, are connected to an imaginary pathway called the meridian.  On each step, you cultivate the energy through every meridian and connect them to reach godhood.


    "Of course, these imaginary lines are empty. You have to lock them down with something spiritual, preferably fate locks or the essence of universalws. Unfortunately, we don''t have ess to either of them. However, with the manifestation of the fate lock, you can take the first step when you''re ready."


    Her teaching was way essential for me to lose a sense of excitement, so I pulled everything to curve those words into my mind while keeping my focus on the sensation her Qi causing to my body.


    Honestly, it wasn''t that difficult to remember them, which let me consider if I was doing anything wrong or not. Thankfully, Saarya was patient in her teaching.


    After done with the process, she asked me to show her what I learned. I showed under her guidance so that I didn''t make any mistakes.


    This time around she blocked the psychological stabbing to the minimalist, providing me with a clear mind to operate the minuscule amount of energy I had.


    As I cycled for the first time, I found it was more difficult than it looked. Of course, remembering the pathways was hardly difficult, but keeping my mind steady for the entire process was horrifyingly taxing to my mind.


    Well, definitely not as bad as the psychological stabbing that I felt for a week. It was simply exhausting. I feared I would exhaust all my mental energy when I was done with my third round.


    Thankfully, the Higdy was satisfied after Ipleted the second round of cycling.


    "That''s alright for now," Saarya said with a contemtive look. She was sitting right before me now, barely a few inches away. I could feel her natural body odour without sniffing. I liked the smell of it. . . I like to. . .


    Wait, go away distracting thoughts. I''m in the middle of something important. Curse my hormones, you''re distracting me too much.


    I breathed in and out deeply and couldn''t meet her gaze. Saarya didn''t seem to notice anything, which made me a little more courageous, as when she was contemting how to go on about this, I sniffed her addicting fragrance.


    At that very moment, Saarya came back to reality and shot me a re.


    "What are you doing?" the highdy asked.


    "Cough! Cough!" I coughed more awkwardly than I would like to admit. "Trouble breathing, don''t mind me."


    "Are you sure?" Saarya asked, more yful than stern. "Because it seemed to me, you''re acting just what is right for your age."


    My face went red as she drew her palm closer to my face. I was anticipating for her to caress my cheek as her palm was reaching for my cheek, however, my teacher turned her palm downwards to clutch the cor in my neck, getting closer to me.


    ''She did it deliberately,'' I swore inwardly as my mind was filled with her addicting fragrance. Her fragrance was that of desire, longing, and something very intimate.


    The hormones inside of me pushed again as I lurched ufortably in my position.


    "I''ll begin," Saarya instructed me, "be calm and don''t try to do anything."


    Easy for her to say.


    I did as best I could to abide by her words, only looking at her picturesque exterior as sweat started to form on her fair forehead and cheek. She was closed-eyed, fingers tangled between my neck and the cor as her eyelids wavered. Her breathing became unsteady, but she remained like that for about a minute, before pulling out.


    Saarya panted deeply, whimpering. It seemed it was more difficult than she would like to admit. At that moment, I didn''t care if the work was finished or not, but just hold her in my embrace and let her not leave.


    "It''s not done," she said, sping her forehead. "I think I''ll take another time."


    Saarya was about to stand up, but directions were wobbly in her head after everything she did. She tripped, but I came to rescue them, catching her before she hit the ground.

 Chapter 180 175 Saarya (6)

    "Thank you," Saarya uttered, barely managing.


    "I should be the one to say that," I said, and pulled her into my embrace. She tried to struggle, but Saarya hardly left with any power to move.


    Even though she looked so strong on the outside, she felt just as soft and tender as I held her for the first time.


    "Can''t you just stay here for a little longer?" I asked, hope kindling in my voice.


    But Saarya didn''t even hear me, she was mumbling on her own.


    "I''m sorry," she said. "I wish I could do better, but they left me broken. . . Betrayed me. . .left me in the confines and watched me rot. . . I''m sorry for what. . ."


    Saarya fell unconscious in my embrace, leaving me to wonder how much effort she had to pull to break the restriction on my cor when she had anothertched onto her neck.


    I looked up at her picturesque face, the thin frown she was still holding, and wiped off the sweat from her face. She looked so defenceless and pure, I could watch her like that for the entire night.


    And that was probably what I did. I carried her tender body to the stone bed and left her there, sitting beside her. I watched her for almost the entire night.


    I didn''t know when my eyes closed, but when I opened my eyes again, I didn''t find her in the bed, nor in the room. She left when I was sleeping.


    I sighed as the awfully loud horn red, pulling me out of my daydream.


    ***


    "The mark isn''t growing anymore, it seemed," Elea said, inspecting after the doctor fed it the daily dose of spirit energy.


    "Should I stop feeding it more?" the elderly doctor asked, eager for the others to agree.


    I remainedpletely still in the room as they discussed stuff for me. Well, the decisions maker was always Imani, who turned to the A''caen every now and then to read the native person''s expression.


    I had never seen A''caen bossing her around, but it seemed she really have a deep respect for the native individual, though her respect should be different from someone like Dele.


    Well, for starters, I found her caressing the hard man''s bruises just too intimately and carefully, to mistake there was nothing between them.


    Not that I care all that all much. My worries for these days were elsewhere. It had been two days since Saarya decided to break the restriction on the cor, and it had been two days since I hadn''t seen her.


    I didn''t know what to think about it. Neither I knew what it takes to break the restriction, nor what price she had to pay. Whenever I asked the same qu4esiton about breaking the restriction, all their answer had been it isn''t possible.


    Even A''caen had the same answer. He seemed genuine enough, but I didn''t know if I could believe him after how he deceived me. I wondered if he was deceiving everyone or simply the new guy.


    Well, probably thetter. Which put me at a disadvantage and I didn''t know what to do about it. Even if I pulled all my hair would and wrack my brain, I coulde up with nothing to solve my delliema.


    Besides, without power, anything I could, would have no effect one anybody.


    I truly wanted to trust them, but other than Cameron, I couldn''t trust anyone of thempletely, even after all the care they had shown me.


    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® ''Saarya, are you gone?'' I wondered in my helplessness. ''Are youing back? If so, please be quick. You told me to never hope for an angel toe to my doorstep to free me of my load, but I cannot do anything without an angel, without you.''


    Saarya''s work on the cor did something as the stabbing pain in my mind had diminished, but not to the degree which would let me practise cycling freely. It was not even better than when she forcefully blocked the pain for me.


    If it went on for more, I didn''t know if i could even remember the meridian path she showed mest time.


    I felt a nudge in my shoulder and found Elea gesturing at me to listen to what they were discussing. I nodded and found Imani giving the verdict again.


    "The mark has grown, this is already a sign that it is exactly what the A''caen mentioned," Imani''s voice was stern andmanding. "A fate mark. Honestly, I didn''t know much about this, but if it is really a fate mark, then the only thing that is stopping Gale, I believe it to be the cor."


    "Unfortunately, everyone''s not as lucky as Uncle Phillips, it seems," I added with a low chuckle. Nobody joined me.


    "ording to A''caen, these cors only restrict the energy, not fate locks or marks, but since the fate marks need energy to act, the cor cancels out everything. If somehow. . ."


    Imani''s voice trailed off as she found she was simply wishing for something that''s not achievable. At least not by them.


    "If there is really some higher power in this universe," Uncle Phillips said, "and that power had chosen the kid for this, I believe this isn''t the end. I believe they had a n for everything and everyone."


    Wow, I didn''t believe him to be religious, not to mention after all he faced in this hell.


    "Anyway, we''ll continue this for a few more days, if we see no development, we''ll stop it."


    That was the end of it. I got back to straight to my quarters, keeping my mind steady, since depressing thoughts were my onlypanion. There was no rest of it, whenever I felt they went away after I seeded at something, they came back shoving into misery once again.


    Humming some lonely tune, I opened the door and got into my room as a familiar voice hit my ears.


    "I thought you''d note back today," the most prettiest woman I had everid eyes on said, "I thought you''re probably enjoying some lovely girl''spany. The Elea girl was it?"

 Chapter 181 176 Saarya (7)

    I considered hurrying to Saarya and embracing her, but I refrained from doing that even if my mind deemed it irresistible. However, it didn''t stop from delight and relief to spread across my face as I faced her.


    "I''ll take your silence as affirmation then," Saarya said at my starstruck expression.


    "How much do you know about my life here?" I couldn''t help but ask.


    "More than you tell me," Saarya smiled.


    "And you wouldn''t tell me how you know it if I ask you?"


    Saarya chuckled. "You have their smell on you," she said.


    I clicked my tongue and searched for words to exchange with her. Both of them knew what she was implying was false. She simply liked to pull my leg at times, probably to shove aside the awkwardness growing between us after thest time she fell unconscious.


    Thest two days had been quite long without her presence, and I''d thought countless questions for her to answer, but now when she was face to face with me, I couldn''t utter anything.


    "Sit down," Saarya said. "I''ll break the restriction now."


    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® My eyes widened, and I nodded, sitting down in the middle of the room. Saarya followed with the same process she went throughst time:tched the cor and closed her eyes in deep concentration. Likest time, beads of sweat started to form on her forehead and cheeks as a thin frown crept to her brows.


    I had no clue what she was doing, other than figuring out she was infusing energy into the cor, but I tried that as well. The cor merely fed on my energy when I did that and left me sprawling on the ground with a tremendous psychological stabbing in my head, enough to question my sanity.


    That was probably what Saarya was feeling now, but to an even greater degree, as she was doing actual work.


    Saarya was working slower than the other time, but it didn''t take her more than two minutes to finish what she started. She heaved after finishing her thing, as I went to serve water for her. She was the first person who was getting something from my humble prison. I didn''t even offer Cameron anything when he came to my house a few times.


    "Thank you," she said and swallowed, thankfully not all the content of it. "Check if it worked or not."


    I nodded and got started with Cycling. It took me a few minutes to get to the vibe again with the water droplets and when I got there; I felt like I was flying in the clouds. There was no restriction, no mental stabbing or even a migraine in my head, only the energy and me. And intoxication of power. Even if I had only a little in my grasp.


    "It worked," I said, pulling out from the practice even though I didn''t want to. I heard the power calling to me,pelling me to grasp more of it, but I couldn''t keep the pretty girl waiting, could I?


    Saarya smiled weakly. She was weaker after breaking the restriction, but not to the point likest time. At least, she knew better and hadn''t got off from her position to run around again.


    "I guess you don''t need me to help you practise every day anymore," she said.


    An expression of panic spread across my face as I heard her. Wait, was she saying, she won''te to train me anymore? Was this it? Was this all she could teach?


    "No," I said aloud before I knew, "I mean, you mentioned Spirit arts is broad and endless, how can we are done just after you freed me from the restriction, it should be the first step to starting as far as I''m concerned."


    A frown came into her sweaty brows and then she chuckled as if all this was merely a joke to her. "Well, you''re not wrong about that. This is merely the start. I''m just implying you won''t need me always to get started with the practise."


    I sighed in relief inwardly. I wanted to tell her, I would like herpany nheless, but couldn''t manage the courage to say something like that. I kept our rtionship mostly professional, more than what I would like. I guess the hormones were taking effect again.


    "I mentioned there are twelve steps to Spirit Arts. Sorry, twelve known steps to spirit arts," Saarya continued. "It should be time for you to prepare to take the first step. If the fate lock didn''t kill you in the process, I would have started you long ago. Even now, we have to be careful about this in case the mark implodes with you. So don''t draw energy into it as your energy pool grows from now on"


    I got immensely excited hearing the first part of her sentence, but a frown crawled up in my brows as I got thest.


    "What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.


    "Didn''t I mention there are certain rules in Spirit arts?" Saarya asked. "The existence of a fate mark before reaching copper is something inconceivable."


    "Is that why I got no response from the mark, even if I draw energy to it?" I asked, frowning.


    "Probably," Saarya said, her voice riddled with uncertainty. "Then again, you barely have any power to run a fate mark. Also, you shouldn''t do that, not until you reach copper."


    I agreed to her with a solemn nod. "I have to wait till I make up for copper," I said, sucking a deep breath. "How long would that take?"


    "Months if not years," Saarya said easily, without considering anything.


    I groaned as I heard her. "Months?" I''m tired already. "Don''t you have a better answer?"


    "The ce we are in can be the best ce to cultivate a certain type of practitioner," Saarya said instead. "Mostly people with me elements. This mine is probably the third best, if not the second best, source of fire crystals, and probably the most extensive among them all. Most Fire element artist would kill to even cycle in the upper level of this dungeone-mine, but you''re not with a fire element, so it gives you nothing but more trouble in practising."


    I groaned again. "Why can''t I be a fire element artist?"

 Chapter 182 177 Saarya (8)

    "Why can''t I be a fire element artist?"


    "You''d need to have a me elemental mark instead of what you have on your wrist. Magically speaking, you won''t be able to cultivate fire Qi before you reach the second step. That was when you need to find a second fate lock, but that''s trouble for another time. You need to focus on what you can do now."


    I grunted in frustration. "Okay, let''s stop with bad news," I said, and unwrapped the clothes from my left wrist. Iid the spiral mark bare before her as she scrutinised, though she didn''t let out any words about it like most times. "I have a few burning questions that I would need for you to answer if you can."


    Saarya lifted an eyebrow. "I''ll try, but don''t hope to learn everything. There are many things you won''t understand, many things I''m not supposed to tell you."


    "How sure are you that this mark will give me magical power after I reach copper?" I asked, my voice came with unbridled hope.


    "As much as I''m sure it will kill you through the process," Saarya said.


    "Damn," I shouted. "I guess there''s no end to the bad news for today."


    "Sorry," thedy of purity said. "You should hope for the best and don''t worry, I''ll do my utmost best to keep you alive."


    "So if I came alive, it will give me magical power?"


    "Pretty much."


    "What are the chances of that?"


    Saarya frowned. "It''s pretty hard to calcte that," she said though some deliberation. "I would say fifty-fifty. You have a better chance than most people with me here."


    I nodded and came up with the next question. I showed her the menacing-looking mark on my palm that seemed to bring gloom into your spirit just by looking at it. It was unnecessary attention-grabbing even though it looked nothing special if you look at it casually.


    "So there are fate marks with unique elements like fire. Do you have any idea what kind of mark this is?"


    "The fate mark on your wrist has two attributes in ce of one," Saarya said, firm on her response. "You can guess one of them pretty easily, I think."


    "Darkness?" I uttered the first word that came to my mind.


    Saarya nodded. "Darkness," she said, "and Dimension."


    "What kind of ability do you think it will give me?" I asked again, sucking in a deep breath. Although both of the element seemed pretty impressive in her tone, I couldn''t get my hopes up, knowing nothing about this business.


    "That is very hard to predict," Saarya said through her contemtion. "These types of fate lock are extremely rare. But there are two ways the abilities would go from here: the first is the giver''s intent, and the second is the marked person''s intent."


    I frowned. "I''m not sure if I follow," I said. "If I''m not wrong, you interpreted as someone giving me this fate mark, is that correct?"


    Saarya didn''t enlighten me more on that topic, and to this day I''m still not aware which of the silent gods threw a lifeboat in my direction when I was drowning in misery.


    "Don''t worry about this much, as it isn''t under your control," Saarya said. "You should focus on what you can control. The first on the list should be your spirit arts. Practise well and be strong enough to topple all these people that made a ve out of you."


    The veins in my forehead bulged in indignation as I heard her. A deep seethed fury rose in my heart. I always put the rage in check. To my merit, it helped me function like a human being in this hell.


    I took in deep breaths and calmed the rage, as I hadn''t got to the point of toppling this hell yet. Maybe someday, I swore inwardly.


    "I have onest question, no two actually," I said, exhaling.


    "Shoot."


    "How strong can a mortal man be, practising spirit arts?" I asked, staring at her eyes seriously.


    "Spiritually speaking, you can be an almighty God if you can traverse the twelve steps," Saarya said, her tone slow and stern. "And I meant god, in a literal sense, the Creator and Destroyer--all that business."


    I whistled, never hoped for her to give the answer so causally.


    "However, since ancient age, no mortal of this world had managed to step beyond the eighth step."


    Saarya seemedpletely sure about that, though I have my suspicions. But my thoughts wandered somewhere else.


    "How many steps have you taken," I asked, "if you don''t mind answering?"


    Saarya lifted her head to smile at me. "Is that yourst question?"


    I was ready to say no as it was not, but I wanted to know the answer to this question so badly. As if knowing my intention, Saarya started as a sigh escaped from her lips.


    "Me? I was a special case. At my peak, I managed to take the sixth step." Saarya paused for a second. "To put more perspective, greater teleportation was one of my meagre means before they locked me in my confines.


    So only two steps away from touching divinity. I sucked in a deep breath. Saarya was more impressive than I had thought previously. Her interaction with me left me with the impression that she was more of a healer type with various means into the human body, mind and spirit, but it seemed that was only the part of it.


    p¨¤§ád¨¢-¨¾?¦Í¨º¦É.§ã¨®§® "How strong do I need to be to escape this hell?" I asked myst question, as anticipation rose in my chest.


    "Only escape?" Saarya frowned. "I guess you can attempt at iron and seed if you''re lucky."


    "Iron, what step is it again?"


    "The second," Saarya answered. "Also, you asked only for escaping, not toppling this hell, for that you at least have to achieve Gold, the fourth step. Even your A''caen barely took the third step when he was at his peak."


    ____________


    No cliff this time.

 Chapter 183 178 Stormhold (1)

    Xiaolin served all the builders with tea as all of them stared at her new looks with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. A few of the younger ones were peering at her with those leering eyes, though they didn''t advance with that, knowing she was out of their league now.


    Xiaolin had a substantial Qi inside of her, leading her hair to glow golden, causing her to look something unique and different from mortal humans. Well, ording to her master, her existence was unique, not that she would go around beating her own trumpet. She could as much forgive them for leering at her at first.


    "You are Xiaolin, right?" Shang, the red-faced worker, asked. "What happened to you?"


    "Master helped get an inheritance," Xiaolin said, which wasn''t really a lie, technically. "My hair and looks mutated after that."


    "So you can cultivate freely now?" Shi Jun, the master craftsman, asked with a smile on his face. The tea her master let her serve was a high quality that everyone waited for it at this time as they had made a habit of it.


    "Notpletely, but it is a lot better than before."


    "Good for you," Shi Jun said. "I wish your father was here to see you today."


    Xiaolin''s expression sank, recalling her father. She didn''t remain there for long, bowed her head and returned to the old house.


    She found her master weeding out weeds from the crops, while Vale was running around like he usually does in the morning.


    Xiaolin was ready to get on with the art of Concentration, but halted, finding a carriage stopping near the signboard of Stormhold. A frown appeared on her brows as she watched, but her face spread to a delightful expression when she found a cheerful boying out of the carriage, followed by a beautiful woman in her early twenties.


    Xiaolin left everything she was doing and rushed towards them. Her training robes fluttered in the chilly wind as she reached there and swooped the kid into her arms.


    "Rong''er, I missed you so much!" She embraced, showering kisses on his cheek. Giving no space for the kid toin, she moved on to the woman and embraced her.


    Wang Li was obviously starstruck with her new looks and was about to ask about it, but with the embrace, Xiaolin stopped her from doing anything.


    "Elder sister, I missed you too."


    "Linlin, let me breathe first," Wang Li said as Xiaolin finally ended the hug. The older woman gave a thorough look. "It seemed many things happened the time you were here."


    "Yes," Xiaolin answered cheerfully, as she let go of Rong''er who ran after Vale, yelling "Doggie". "You won''t believe mepletely if I say it. Elder sister, I advanced."


    "Really?" Wang Li hugged the younger girl on her own this time. "Congrattions! When did this happen? And how''s your hair changed? Give me every detail of it."


    "It''s a long story. Come inside the house first."


    "Congrattions," Gang Rui, the cultivator her master recruited from the Han Family, said. Xiaolin barely noticed him getting out of the carriage in her delight.


    Gang Rui was a silver ranker whom Han Xiao ordered to destroy their farm a few weeks back. Obviously, Gale wasn''t present at that time, but Vale took the matter in his paws and showed everyone their ce.


    After that, Gale put every one of the practitioners through aborious task of building something that he wouldn''t tell her. He also gave them two choices, lifelong very, or yielding to him in fair agreement.


    Sadly, only Gang Rui was ready, and free of oath, to agree to Gale''s term. He even gave testimony against his old masters. He left toplete some tasks back in his home and to be properly situated here.


    Xiaolin found herself frowning at the man.


    Her master had exined everything behind his acts, about why he simply didn''t leave them to the enforcer and left them to rot years long in very. She understood his reasoning pretty clearly, but that didn''t mean she would ept someone like him so easily.


    As if noticing the look on her face, Gang Rui halted.


    "I''ll go meet up with Master Gale," he said. "Please excuse me."


    Gang Rui bowed and left to wander the field alone to meet her master.


    "He isn''t that bad once you get to know him," Wang Li told her.


    Xiaolin shot her a look.


    "What?"


    "Elder Sister," Xiaolin asked, hesitating, "Are you. . ." She didn''tplete her sentence but gestured towards the disappearing Gang Rui.


    "Oh, hell no, girl," Xiaolin said, clicking her tongue. "He has a family and a kid. Do I look desperate enough to run after the next man I see?"


    "Good." Xiaolin sighed in relief. "Elder Sister, you probably don''t know, but they were literally attempting to burn the farmhouse."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes. "I certainly didn''t feel that with his behaviour so far. He acted with a calm demeanour and politeness all the way here. Then again, I barely know him"


    "Master said he was doing his best to rectify all the bad things he had done under the Han family," Xiaolin added as they got into the house.


    "Anyway, enough about that. Tell me everything about what happened to you," Wang Li asked, entering the house. "And by everything, I meant Everything."


    Xiaolin sat across from her on the couch after serving her tea. She considered how to start with the talk. In the end, she hid nothing from her elder sister and let out everything that happened, which led her to the horrifying cmity.


    Wang''s face went from startled topletely horrified as she heard that Xiaolin almost died through the process, and only managed to keep her life after Gale helped her with his everything.


    "You''re really fortunate to get such a caring master like him," Wang Li said, squeezing Linlin''s palm. "Then again, Linlin is so cute and tender, no man would ever be able to keep themselves from saving you."


    Xiaolin blushed, snuggling in her chest to hide, unable to meet her gaze.


    "That expression tells me something else happened as well," Wang Li said. "Linlin, are you still hiding something from me?"


    Xiaolin replied with something, but only a muffled sound came, blocked by Wang Li''s robe and body.


    "Speak clearly."


    "Master. . ." Xiaolin said with a shivering voice, "he epted me."


    "epted you in what exactly?" Wang Li frowned. "Wait, you meant to say. You mean--"


    "Yes," Xiaolin said and literally hit her head onto the older woman''s bountiful bosom.


    "Wow. . ." Wang held the girl up to meet her eyes. Wang Li was dying to know how thate around. Well, with Xiaolin''s new look, she could guess it, but Gale seemed like a person who would wait for Xiaolin to be ready, instead of frustrating her for years. Something big happened must have happened for him to go forward in the next step in the rtionship.


    "That''s great progress. Not only did you achieve your first breakthrough and found yourself a lifelongpanion. You haven''t told me how this happened, though."


    ____________


    Vote with power stones / Golden Ticket / Simply review to help the book reach to arger audience.


    Thanks, Kolwmn, for the review.

 Chapter 184 179 Stormhold (2)

    Wang Li''s expression grew even more incredulous as she got to the bonding part. She was aware of the bonding between a spirit beast and a spirit artist, but never heard about two humans bonding together like this.


    "Well, technically, I''m notpletely human," Xiaolin said after some deliberation.


    A frown crawled up the older woman''s brows as she waspletely lost in how to reply to this. Yes. The advancement gave Linlin unique properties like the glowing pupil and hair and more beauty, but she still appeared human. Well, she said, notpletely human¡ªshe was to consider that part.


    "What!? How?"


    "Master believes I''m part of some lost Spirit race."


    Wang Li could only frown as this waspletely out of her expertise.


    "Elder sister, do think Grandma knows anything about my mother?" Xiaolin asked again. "Did Father tell her anything about her?"


    "I don''t know," Wang Li said. "I guess you have to ask that to Grandma."


    Xiaolin nodded. "After the bond formed between us," she continued, "I asked Master to leave the bond intact. We converse on the topic as he carried me to the house and then I. . ."


    Xiaolin''s voice trailed off as Wang Li arched her eyebrows at the younger girl. "And you what?"


    "I tried to kiss him," Xiaolin squeaked.


    Wang Li blinked, never she thought Linlin would take the initiative in the rtionship, but it seemed all worked in her favour.


    "Obviously, with my injuries, I could barely able to reach his lips," Xiaolin continued, blushing. "But that at least made Master consider it. Still, he tried many ways to delude me."


    "Like?"


    "Well, he said he might have other partners than me," Xiaolin said, with a bitter taste in her mouth.


    "And you agreed to that?" Wang Li looked at her incredulously.


    "Well, I think he only said that just to shake my conviction," Xiaolin said, biting her lips.


    "You say that, but will your conviction still remain steady when he brings another girl to the house?" Wang Li asked. Xiaolin had no answer for her. "Linlin, I never take you for someone who''d agreed to something like this. How sure are you about this?"


    Xiaolin considered her question carefully. "I''m not sure about this and still feel that Master merely made that statement to shake me. However, I''ll be fine as long as I''m with him."


    Wang Li blinked and wasn''t sure what she should say. Well, she was fine with it as long as the other party didn''t force Linlin. Wang Li could respect their conviction, but that didn''t mean she was someone who like a polygamous rtionship.


    That was the reason she ran away from home, after all. The groom her family selected for her was already twice her age. Well, with the advancement in the ranks, it barely made any difference in the looks. However, the main problem was that the man had already married twice before her.


    Wang Li was aware she would have a more stable life than what she had now if she agreed to the marriage back in the day. However, she still couldn''t say she regretted it. Even after her failed marriage.


    "Besides, as I''m now, I''m not ready to ept Masterpletely," Xiaolin said with a beat red face. "I''ll feel jealous if he does those things with other women, but I couldn''t really stop him as I''m now."


    "Those things?" Wang Li lifted an eyebrow. "Damn girl, you''re already thinking of all that stuff. Is that your motivation now for spirit arts now, so that you can do lewd stuff with your master?"


    "Elder sister!" Xiaolin whined as the older woman hugged her.


    "I guess nothing matters as long as you''re happy." Wang Li caressed Xiaolin''s glowing golden hair softly.


    At that moment, the door of the house opened and Gale entered in his white-d tunic. He had a couple of farming equipment¡ªa sickle and a hoe¡ªwith him.


    "Oho, so finally Madam Wang has decided to grace us with her presence," Gale said, bowing in exaggerated manners. "Wee to this poor farmer''s humble abode. I hope you''ll grace us with your presence for a few days at the least."


    Wang Li lifted her brows at his act and grunted. "Humble?" she snorted. "I guess this one is a humble abode, but definitely not what you''re building."


    "With your grace, I think the mansion will bepleted by tomorrow," Gale said.


    "Well, congrats. When are you throwing a house-warming party? If I''m not wrong, you''re a big fan of celebrations."


    "Perhaps in a week," Gale answered after a thought. "Well, the local festival is here, so probably after the festival."


    "Oh, that reminded me," Wang Li said. "The festival, that is why I was here." She turned to Xiaolin and continued. "I was worried Linlin would be busy with her training and won''t have time to visit us during the festival, so I decided to visit bearing gifts for the festival.


    "But looking at her now, what do you say, Master Gale? Can you give her a little leeway for the festival? Or are you nning to keep this beauty to yourself all the time?"


    Gale lifted an eyebrow as Wang Li squeezed his flustered disciple. He guessed Xiaolin already told her everything about what happened between them. No point in hiding it anymore.


    "You''re free to take her as you please, Madam Li," Gale said straightly, "however, you must know I do n to keep her all to myself."


    "Master!" Xiaolin squeaked, hiding her flustered face, snuggling into Wang Li''s embrace.


    "I guess you two master and disciple pair can work that out together," Wang Li said. "That reminded me, I looked up some maid candidates for you. Do you still in need of a maid?"


    Xiaolin was ready to say no, however, the decision was for Gale to make.


    Gale considered for a moment. The change in their rtionship had changed many things, and he could help Xiaolin with many things that he wouldn''t be able to do before, but that''s still not everything.


    "I guess that will depend on how good the maid is."

 Chapter 185 180 Stormhold (3)

    To give Xiaolin some field training, Gale decided to take her into the mountains and hike. Nothing too serious for her first try, but they were ying to go into deeper areas wheremon people shouldn''t venture no matter the time.


    But it seemed with the appearance of the innkeeper, they had to dy the trip for ater date.


    "I don''t know," Wang Li said, carrying Rong''er. "I won''t feel safe taking Rong''er to the wild."


    "And you won''t feel relieved leaving him here as well," Xiaolin said, frowning. She turned to her master. "Maybe we should cancel it this time around."


    Before Gale could reply, the older woman opened her mouth to answer. "No, you don''t have to cancel your ns because of me," she said. "You two can just venture into the mountains while we''ll wait in the house."


    Gale shook his head. "No, that won''t look good for us being the host," he said. "I guess we can do it after the festival."


    Wang Li clearly looked ufortable as they cancelled their ns for her. But nothing she could say could convince them to venture on their own, leaving her on the farm.


    "Then, we should start decorating the new house now," Gale said. Although most of the heavy lifting was done, there was plenty of small stuff they needed to put in the house to make it seem a desirable ce.


    Without the pure crystals, Xiaolin''s training cycling had mostly stagnated. So she should have extra energy to share as well.


    "Wang Li, with your power, you can easily groom the garden," Gale told her. "Of course, you don''t need to do it if you don''t feel like it."


    "No, I''m fine with it," Wang Li said. Working in the field meant more experience for her in using her fate lock. Besides, Gale had helped her and her family greatly before. The script constructs for the inn''swn, the instalment payment for the fate lock, and many other small things.


    "Xiaolin, you go help her throughout the process, while I''ll give a finishing touch to the constructs. I''ll show you something really cool after I''m finished."


    "Where is the garden again?" Wang Li asked, arching an eyebrow.


    "You mean where it is supposed to be?" Gale corrected her shamelessly, as he hadn''t yet had time to make room for the garden. It was still green lunch grass before the house.


    The innkeeper shot him a t look.


    "I guess I''ll help you to plough thend," he gave in.


    "No need. We two women can do just fine, just show us where we need to work."


    Xiaolin nodded heavily, agreeing with her elder sister''s words.


    "Well, in the front of the house, and around the outdoor staircase," Gale instructed as he led them towards the new mansion. "Don''t forget to leave room for walking."


    Wang Li snorted as if she didn''t need that reminder. Instead, she stared up at the weird-looking mansion. The outdoor staircase made it look even odder. The t shape of it just seemed odd inparison to what she came across all her life. She guessed this was what the building looks like in Gale''s world.


    The building looked smaller from the front, but it should be spacious with the two floors, taking up huge areas in the back. They had mostly used ironwood and augmented concrete for the building, giving it a thousand years of longevity. Well, that was, as long as no high-rank cultivator ran rampant here.


    Still, it would take a gold ranker to cause actual damage to this mansion, and considering the defence construct the master artisan put in ce, even they wouldn''t have it easy.


    "Oh, that reminded me," Gale said as he brought out a few thin fist-sized wood bs. "I forgot to give you this."


    "What is this?" Wang Li asked, arching an eyebrow.


    "An entry pass of Stormhold," Gale answered profoundly. "Took me days to perfect it."


    She took one of the bs and inspected it to find only a weird w mark in them. The mark reminded her of lighting¡ªshe guessed it worked well with the name, Stormhold, but she feared Gale had used his trustworthypanion to make the dent in it.


    More importantly, she still couldn''t understand what this thing exactly was.


    "Entry pass as in?"


    "It will give you free ess to our humble farm," Gale said with a smile.


    "What about the ones that don''t have a pass and try to pass in?" Wang Li arched her eyebrow, curious.


    "That would mostly depend on their intention," Gale said with a knowing look.


    Wang Li couldn''t say she liked that vague description all that much.


    "Okay," the foreigner said, as he wasn''t done with giving her just the b. "Let''s register you to the house first. You need just to give me a little of your Qi."


    Gale brought a small gem out of his void look and tossed it to her. Wang Li caught it with her copper flexibility. She put her effort into spirit arts since then, well, she had no better things to do.


    "I guess that would do fine. Infuse some of your Qi into it, I''ll register you after this."


    Wang Li looked at the gem dumbly for a moment and then followed with what the foreigner said. She wasn''t sure if she had ever heard anything like this before, not even in stories.


    She tossed back the Qi-infused gem to Gale, who just let it disappear into the void lock. His control over the fate lock was rising pretty easily. It wouldn''t have been effortless like this before.


    "From now on all you have to do is show that pass to the new Stormhold Signboard to get free entry."


    "Hmm," Wang Li was still frowning. "What if someone else uses this pass instead of me?"


    "It won''t work," Gale said. "If you enter with the pass once, it will not work with other people."


    Wang Li could only nod in amazement. "I''m not sure if I follow how this all works, but thanks for the pass, I guess."


    "No need to thank me. With your rtionship with Xiaolin, this is nothing. This is merely a safety precaution in case something like what happened transpires again and I or Vale are not there to protect the home."


    Wang Li nodded, while his disciple, who was looking at all the exchange sheepishly, straightened.


    "Master, what about me?"


    "What about you?" Gale arched his eyebrow at her. "The pass? Why do you need a pass when this farm is yours to begin with?"


    "But. . ."


    "What? Are you having second thoughts about living in it with me?" Gale asked.


    "No," Xiaolin was quick to answer, "not at all."


    "Do you need a few of the passes to give to your friends?" Gale asked. "I made three variants of those: one time pass, pass for friends and family, which I gave to your elder sister, and thest one was mostly transactional."


    Xiaolin shook her head and then remembered her uncle Shan and his family.


    "I''ll give them theirster. Don''t worry about it. Now let''s get going with the work."

 Chapter 186 181 Stormhold (4)

    Gale was ready to leave for the town with Xiaolin and Wang Li in the morning. Sadly, he forgot that today he was supposed to show the secretir he was building to Shi Jun and n for the few other things he needed building.


    The woman decided to stay till he was finished too, as they were eager to know theter part of his story throughout the journey. However, Gale had other work as well.


    He needed to make a tour around the mountain range to find Shi Fan and buy a bulk of pure crystal for Xiaolin. Without pure crystal, her progress hadpletely stopped. Although he feared for her second cmity, he couldn''t just leave her spirit arts stranded.


    Finding Shi Fan would be a bit problematic in this great wilderness, even though he got the general direction from Twilight, and where to leave a message in case he couldn''t find him.


    However, his job didn''t end there. There were two more tasks before he could enjoy himself at the festival. He had taken amission from Sun Ziang to make him a long read. Gale still hadn''t gotten around it yet.


    Well, not his fault. The guild was inefficient in delivering all the tools and items to him.


    Gale nned toplete it by tomorrow and take it to the noble son. He needed to have the great healer to look after his disciple for once, just in case he missed something on her condition. His work on the longread should be enough for the favour.


    Lastly, he had to find a very difficult girl to find and give her a pass as well, just in case she would like to visit. Gale didn''t have high hopes of seeding in that.


    "Looks like it''s only the two of us, elder sister," Xiaolin said with some regret.


    "And Vale," Gale added as at that moment, a white furry dog came in with a cheerful little boy on top of him.


    "Woof!" Vale yelled in agreement.


    "And me, me," Rong''er joined too.


    Wang Li picked up her babe from riding Vale and turned to Gale.


    "Why does it feel like you''re deliberately wanting to go alone," she asked. "Is it because you don''t want to share thetter part of your story?"


    Gale smiled awkwardly. "I already narrated Linlin a part of it," he said. "As for theter part, I don''t think a carriage is a good ce for it."


    Moreover, Gale wasn''t sure if he would be able to control himself if he went over that part. He had talked to nobody about it; absolutely nobody; feared to admit his pain, ashamed to admit his weakness, his inability.


    "Safe journey," Gale said after them as they climbed into the carriage. With Vale around them, he barely had to hope for a safe journey.The hound would make sure it was a safe journey even if it weren''t.


    Besides, it was broad daylight and Gale had given his disciple enough artifact to protest herself and her elder sister till Vale could deal with anything that came their way.


    Still, Gale felt bad leaving them alone on their journey. So after they left, he decided to follow behind the carriage from a distance in the sky.


    His instantaneous speed was obviously higher than the courage, he flew through the lonely road just to be sure that there were no bandits or minions of noble pricks there to do anything fishy.


    Gang Rui would have been fine for the job, but Gale was more efficient. It took about half an hour and Gale was mostly relieved. He didn''t meet up with them on his return, simply flew away towards the mountains.


    ***


    After scouring the mountains for a few hours, Gale could''t find Shi Fan, nor the girl he was looking for. Still, his journey was worthwhile as he found many herbs that would be useful to help Xiaolin in her journey.


    Of course, he barely knew only a few things to make, like that herb shake and a few other simr drinks. His convincing words were enough to make Xiaolin believe the drink was great for her recovery and health.


    But honestly, that was merely the herbs. His efficiency at handling Qi hadn''t let him bring harmony between the ingredients at all.


    He always felt it funny whenever Xiaolin made that face when he made her ingest the awfully disconcerting drink.


    ''Fool girl, still believes the more unnerving the taste the better the herbal quality is.''


    Putting his delight at her dumbness aside, Gale really needed to find a good alchemist to make some great elixir and pills to help cultivation. If the first cmity equalled copper, the next one should be equalling Iron, which should be even more disastrous, considering it had been his most painful advancement.


    Besides, all great master shower their disciples with pills and elixirs. With Xiaolin''s peculiar physique, most elixirs would work on her, though he needed to guide it in a particr direction.


    Gale left a written note for Shi Fan to see if he was still in the mountain range. In case Gale couldn''t contact him again, then he would have to look for other ways to buy pure crystals.


    That would be time-consuming, considering pure crystal was one of the rarest resources for practitioners. The price hike was for a reason.


    Gale came back flying, deliberating over those thoughts. He didn''t notice a fair maiden creeping under him at first pace, at first.


    It was only the third time that his name was echoed in his ears, Gale turned to find the girl.


    "Sumei," he called, dropping down tond before her as a delightful expression spread on his face. "It''s been a while since I have seen you."


    "What were you thinking so carefreely, mysterious farmer expert? I was waiting for you to hit a tree, but you somehow always dodge them, even though you can''t hear my call."


    _________


    Drop power stones/ review/ment/ golden tickets if you like the story.

 Chapter 187 182 Stormhold (5)

    "Sumei, I was actually thinking about you," Gale said afternding before her.


    The woman shot him a sceptical look. "Really?" she said, "then why did it take you half a dozen of my cry to notice me?"


    "That," Gale said, smiling, "because I was busy thinking about you."


    Sumei snorted. "You don''tck girls to think about this poor woman."


    Gale gave her an incredulous look.


    "What?" Sumei challenged. "Don''t give me that look that you''re oblivious to their presence."


    "Hmm," Gale hummed. "I''m really curious as to whom you''re addressing."


    "Fine, I''ll enlighten you then," Sumei rasped. "First that cute petite girl, she probably had nothing on her mind other than you all the time. Then there was that creepy girl."


    "Twilight?" Gale arched an eyebrow.


    "Whatever," Sumei clicked her tongue. "For the records, I hadn''t left you in that abandoned farmhouse that other day. I merely discovered a cloaked figure carrying you there."


    Gale blinked, hearing about this for the first time. A few days ago, he had a confrontation with Han Shitian, a gold ranker, where Gale had to pull all his power to defeat the practitioner in a short time, which in retrospect led him to feel difort in his spirit.


    To relieve the pain, Gale drank a few mouthfuls of high-level spirit wine. The alcohol solved the issue with difort, however, it got him senseless when he was flying. Finally, Gale dropped into a wheat field in the middle of nowhere.


    All this waspletely unbing of a gold ranker. And Gale''s power as a gold ranker had been dwindling for some time now, still, he hadn''t thought he wouldn''t be able to endure it that much for such a short time.


    He hadpletely miscalcted his forbearance there. That was unlike him for most parts, though there were examples of him overestimating himself.


    Thankfully, he already covered a substantial distance from the Hans residence, when he fell unconscious.


    That day was still surreal to him. He remembered dreaming of Saarya and then waking up to find Sumei. . . Later, he went to the inn with Xiaolin and Vale.


    But now he was finding out there was another person who looked after him when he was unconscious.


    "Okay, that only made it two," Gale said, "even though Twilight doesn''t count. I literally paid  her spirit marks to look after--"


    "Yourself?" Sumei raised an eyebrow.


    "My disciple," Gale said truthfully, "and the farm. I guess her professionalism took me into ount as well."


    Sumei clicked her tongue as if she couldn''t believe his words even a bit.


    "Then there''s the innkeeper," she said, throwing him a knowing look.


    "Umm, what is that look supposed to mean?" Gale arched an eyebrow. "And for the record, Wang Li has a kid, and has better things to worry over than a fool who couldn''t stop himself from getting into trouble."


    "But I have seen you with her more than a few asions to have this idea," Sumei said. "And the point still holds, you think more of her than this poor woman."


    It was Gale''s turn to shake his head. He was about to say something, but she beat him to it.


    "Don''t try to deny it," Sumei said, her eyes challenging. "I hate those people who''d lie through their teeth just because it will leave them in a good light."


    "Fine, I''ll admit it," Gale said, sighing. "She''s attractive."


    Gale hated to admit it, but Wang Li made more sense to him than Twilight, who he barely talked to more than a couple of times, and even then it was only him talking. Twilight simply stood like a log, nodding or shaking her head to respond to him.


    "At least, you''re a bit honest this time around," Sumei said, with a curve in her lips. Probably happy about winning the challenge. "Her husband was a total prick, though, who''d leave such a woman like her."


    Gale chose to be silent instead of making anyment to her remark.


    "You might want to act quick," Sumei said, still with that smile, "women like her don''t stay single for long."


    Gale groaned. He certainly didn''t want or even like to talk about this kind of topic with a woman.


    "I can''t figure out your intentions behind all this talk," Gale said, grunting.


    "I merely worried that the mysterious farmer expert doesn''t live life in regret," Sumei said. "You look like someone who already has too many regrets for your age."


    Gale was momentarily lost on what to reply to that.


    "Anyway," Gale said, "believe me or not, you were in my mind."


    Sumei gave him a thorough nce and finally said. "I believe you."


    "Thank you."


    "So, I was the fourth girl on your mind," Sumei said with a teasing voice. "Can''t say I''m proud of that rank."


    "Maybe a close second or third," Gale said, "but you were in my mind."


    "What can I say," Sumei said with an exaggerated bow, "I''m blessed."


    "Perhaps, you should have kept more contact if you want to top that list," Gale snorted, almost unfazed by her tease.


    Sumei lifted an eyebrow. "I''ll keep that in mind."


    "Where do you stay anyway?" Gale asked. "I asked around a few people, but they couldn''t give me anything on you."


    "The ce I dwell is hardly liveable," Sumei said with a sigh. "You''re better off not knowing about it now, but I think you''ll find your way there someday. Eventually, I hope."


    Gale was almost certain there was an implication behind her words, but with her acting enigmatic, there was no way for him to figure it out at this moment.


    "Regardless, these days, you might find me around this mountain range," Sumei continued with augh. "If you look, you might even find me sleeping in your stable without your permission, disturbing your sleep."


    Gale stared at her as a chilly wind blew, fluttering their robe. Sumei seemed tired after her journey through the mountain range, and she really might not have a ce to stay around here.


    Well, with her iron-rank strength, it wasn''t that hard to get a nice ce in an inn. However, there were other private matters which could stop her from taking a ce in public.


    Simr to Shi Fan, she could simply be hiding from people.


    "Here, take this." Gale brought out a Stormhold pass out of his dimension pocket and handed it to her.


    Sumei took it and frowned, looking at the ironwood token.


    "Now you have my permission to stay in Stormhold," Gale said. "There are plenty of free rooms, so you don''t have to bother sleeping in the stable."


    "Are you sure about that?" Sumei asked seriously.


    Gale nodded.


    "With this, I''m allowed open ess to your home," Sumei asked again, "are you sure about opening your door for a stray like me?"


    "Yes," Gale said.


    "Thank you," Sumei''s voice seemed to have held more emotions than she ever showed to anyone.


    "Alright, it''s gettingte, and you look like you need to have a roof over your head for the day as well. Come, you might also enjoy the bath."


    Sumei only thought for a second before agreeing to her Mysterious Farmer Expert as Gale drew his palm towards her. Sumei gave him her own, as Gale pulled her into his embrace and flew away towards Stormhold.


    ***


    Shi Fan really missed his days of convenience. In the wilderness, he didn''t have ess to anything his sect could give him, however, that ship had sailed already.


    It had sailed the day his master was murdered.


    Shi Fan wasn''t wee there. Even his appearance there would create more trouble than he ever would be able to solve. They would interrogate him day and night to get his master''s inheritance. But Shi Fan would rather die than give anything to those backstabbing old coats.


    "Well, the mountains aren''t that bad," Shi Fan uttered as if to convince himself. "At least my spirit arts are growing at a faster rate."


    Well, most of the credit would go to the resources his master left him. Still, the mountains had their challenges and threats to always make him put in his best effort.


    These days, Shi Fan only had three things in his life. Cycle day and night, practise all day along with hunting spirit beasts, and make food and eat between them.


    He couldn''t say it was any less than a barbaric lifestyle, but this was the only life he could afford now, even though he had enough wealth to buy luxurious vis.


    Shi Fan crept through the familiar path with a dead boar on his back. He was taking the long road to his dwelling, only to check if Twilight had left any messages for him.


    Supposedly, she was still in town, working on othermissions. Shi Fan had left her with a lot of his wealth, purely arge part of his pure crystals and gold coins. Also, he had loaned her about a hundred thousand gold coins for her needs which he waspletely oblivious about.


    Still, he wasn''t worried about Twilight ripping him off. Unnerving as her presence might be, she waspletely trustworthy with her acts.


    Shi Fan checked the tree hole once every week for any messages, and today for the first time, he got something. Putting his hand into the hole, Shi Fan brought a scroll out of there.


    Delighted to have some human contact, Shi Fan opened the scroll immediately and found it was not from his friend, but that suspicious-looking foreigner actually.


    I read:


    Heyo Boyo, I hope no wild beast has eaten you yet because I require your stock of pure crystal again. Jokes apart, I believe you''re alive and fine. Also, I really require arge chunk of pure crystal. You know where to contact me. Don''t worry about the payment, I don''t mind paying double the price ofst time. You might even request some advice on spirit arts from me as well.


    -- Your favourite mysterious foreigner (In case you''re dumb, it''s me, Gale. Vale misses you)


    Shi Fan swallowed reading thest part.


    _______


    A huge thanks to Tenthousandsun for the great review. Hopefully, it wasn''t filtered by the algorithm for excessive word counts.

 Chapter 188 183 Festival And Festivities (1)

    Gale flew, pushing against the chilly wind. His traditional robe ttered against the wild wind as he propelled forward towards the town.


    The Sun came down by the time he reached the town, but there was no shortage of light today or the mour of people. The festival starts off officially tomorrow, but it seemed people couldn''t just wait anymore after the long year.


    From the marketce to the mostmon houses in the town were lit with countless oilmps and light constructs, as the harvesting festival had already taken over the town of Wayshire.


    Gale came down on thend to get more of the excitement of the celebration. The air is filled with the smells of food from various vendors as well as the stench of burned fireworks. Some people couldn''t really stop themselves. All of it was brimming with positive energy, enough to pull even a lost soul like him into the spirit of festivity.


    The echo of drum rolls broke in the surrounding as if the drummer were contesting between themselves, while children danced to their tune, singing all the way.


    Gale crept through the spirited walkways with colourful decorations, and banners added to the festive atmosphere. There were street performers, artists, and dancers preparing for their stands, and those that already did, were performing for the crowds.


    As the night fell, the festival reached a new spirit of excitement, with the lights from the various stalls and performances illuminating the streets. The energy levels continue to rise, with people dancing and singing along to the music.


    Gale merely crept on the walkway, staring at the spirited people celebrating. It was already crowded, but not to the point of making it a disoriented wave of people. The only risk now was children running on the walkway, shing against people.


    Thankfully, Gale''s perception was enough to let him have a minute adjustment of his position before the children could collide.


    Sadly, not everyone was so lucky or proficient. Gale found not too far away a girl literally falling on her four limbs after shing against a kid. The kid simply ran away, yelling excuses, and leaving the girl on the ground.


    It took an extended moment for the fallen girl to understand her plight.


    "Are you alright?" Gale asked,ing to her rescue. He held his hand for her to take it, but he found no change in her bodynguage to take his hand, as if she was lost in her world.


    "Yes," the girl said softly.


    She had a couple of feet-long cane with her, which made Gale reconsider the circumstances of the girl. She was tall as most women could be, in her early twenties with jet-ck hair and the fairplexion of themon people of Tianhui, though an extra bit more delicate than most girls.


    She was pretty, but the most beautiful part of her was her clear, gem-like eyes. There was also a beauty mark below her left eye, enhancing her beauty. Although she was nothing otherworldly like Xiaolin after her advancement, the girl was readily appealing to the eye.


    The girl didn''t have a single ornament on her other than her cane, which seemed to curve out with dark rubies in some spirit tree branch. On second thought, that seemed like a manifestation of a fate lock.


    However, what held Gale''s most attention was simply how she turned to him, only listening to his voice, and still taking an extended moment to figure out his position.


    "Sorry, I can''t see, and I''m a little clumsy at this moment."


    Gale lifted an eyebrow and supported her by pulling her arm to make her stand back up.


    "Thank you," the girl said, bowing to him politely.


    "Do you need any help getting somewhere?" Gale asked, considering her circumstances.


    A look of contemtion appeared on the face of the blind girl. She was torn between agreeing to the stranger, but worried she would inconvenience him.


    "If it pleases, sir," she said atst, giving in.


    "No worries," Gale chuckled. "The name''s Gale. I love to help pretty girls whenever I can."


    The blind girl seemed momentarily lost in what to reply to him, hadn''t hoped to get such a flirtypliment offhandedly.


    The blind girl drew her palm for Gale to take it. Gale took it graciously, although she couldn''t see it.


    "Then I guess I have to trouble you, good Sir," she said. "As Ai is not pretty at most things she does."


    "Ai?" Gale recited, "that''s a pretty name."


    "Thank you," Ai said. "I named myself."


    Now it was Gale''s turn to pause at her casual words.


    "So, where do you want to go?" Gale asked. "Do you have some rtives or other residence ready?"


    Ai considered for a second to answer. "I guess I figured out where I have to be," she mumbled. "As for the ce, do you know Len''s crew?"


    "No, but I''m confident in figuring it out after searching for a little."


    "Well, you won''t have to bother. Just take me to the middle of the town. If you see a circus, take me to them."


    "As you wish, mydy."


    Gale led her to the centre of the town. It wasn''t that great of a distance, but with the crowds and their slow pace, it took some time.


    "So the circus, are you by any chance--"


    "I''m a performer," Ai said, "though still an apprentice at best."


    Gale wasn''t that startled, but curious hearing that out.


    "So, your spirituality doesn''t help you much or is there a restriction on you?" Gale asked after some consideration. Her strength shouldn''t her this helpless as far as how spirituality went.


    This world was a terrible pce for a blind girl like her alone. Even though she seemed to have iron strength, the blindness was a big detriment to render her helpless the way she was now.


    "I can figure out my way most times," Ai said, a little embarrassed. "It is just some restrictions of my Fate lock. It makes me clumsy at times."


    Gale raised an eyebrow, curious about what kind of clumsiness, but asking about someone''s weakness in spirit arts was considered bad manners, so he refrained from getting into that topic.


    ____________

 Chapter 189 184 Festival And Festivities (2)

    Gale raised an eyebrow, curious about what kind of clumsiness, but asking about someone''s weakness in spirit arts was considered bad manners, so he refrained from getting into that topic.


    "So what do you do, Good Sir?" Ai asked to keep the conversation going. "Other than helping girls, in case you''d answer with that."


    Gale lifted an eyebrow as if he was really considering saying that.


    "I used to do many things," he said eventually, exhaling, "but these days, I simply chill around and farm."


    "Your ent suggested you''re not from around here," Ai continued. "Did you change profession very recently?"


    "My ent? I thought it was pretty good." But apparently, he couldn''t fool even a blind girl.


    "It is more about the way you talk than your ent. Common folks of Tianhui weren''t as flirtatious."


    "That was flirtatious?" Gale snored. "Ai, you probably never seen what real flirtatious is like."


    "Hmm," Ai hummed, not disagreeing. "You haven''t answered my question yet."


    "Oh yes, I recently moved to Wayshire and found the atmosphere likeable to settle down. You stay here for a few days. You might even want to settle down here."


    "Hmm, so what are the many things you used to do before?"


    Gale was a bit startled to see her interest in him. Most girls or even most people liked to talk about themselves most of the time, but this blind girl certainly had a way around the conversation. She was more thoughtful than she appeared, he guessed, as she was keeping him interested in the conversation by asking about himself.


    "Mostly practitioner business, I guess," Gale said. "Oh right, I was a performer as well. I used to write songs and perform in the street, tavern or anywhere, but hadn''t had time to get back to that for a long time."


    "We might have a position open for a minstrel," Ai said, chuckling. "You can audition for that if you want to get back to the grove of performing in crowds."


    "Really?" Gale raised an eyebrow. "But I fear you guys wouldn''t want me. I have auditioned for many travelling bands and troupes. They always rejected me, some even before hearing my song. Either they don''t like my songs, or my attitudes."


    "I didn''t hear your song, but your attitude seems fine to me."


    "That''s what I told people," Gale said, noticing the camps of a circus crew nearby. "Anyway, it seems we''re here."


    "Already," Ai said spiritedly.


    "Let''s see if they are the right people you''re looking for or not."


    Before Gale could approach the crew, he found a woman in a tigress costume with arge whip in her arm, creeping towards them. She noticed the blind girl''s presence as her expression changed.


    "Ai?" she called,ing before them.


    "Yes," the blind girl answered, exhaling. "You''re Len, I suppose."


    It seemed it was the first time for both parties to meet in person.


    "It seemed your intuitive nature wasn''t just a boost," Len said. "Come in, take your guard as well. I''ll meet you with all the crew members."


    "Guard?" Gale asked, a bit hurt at herment. In what way did he look like a guard to her? Although he couldn''tpare to Sun Ziang in looks, he was a fairly handsome man to be wasted as a guard.


    "Oh no, Madam Len, you''re mistaken," Ai said. "This good Sir is simply helping me to get here. He isn''t a guard."


    Len gave both of them a look and excused curtly. Ai exchanged words with her for a time, as Gale stood there preparing to leave after giving hisst words of goodbye.


    Ai turned to face him, the noise around there making it difficult for her to figure out his position.


    "Here," Gale said. "I guess I havepleted my daily quota of helping pretty girls."


    "Ai appreciated Good Sir very much for the help," Ai said and handed him a ticket. "Take this Mister Gale. If you have time,e to see our show tomorrow."


    Gale took the ticket and put it inside his robes, just in case he didn''t forget about it, leaving it inside his void lock.


    "Thank you," he said, preparing to leave.


    "I have already taken a good bit of your precious time, Good Sir," Ai said. "Pleasee to our show if you can. Take your disciple with you if you can. Or right, she''s bored waiting for you to arrive. You should get going fast."


    An arch appeared on Gale''s brow. "How did you. . ."


    Before he could finish his question, Ai already left, bowing her head.


    "I guess she left me curious toe to see her show," he muttered.


    Gale released his third fate lock and lurched up in the air. Although Ai''s words seemed sketchy, he gave her enough credit to believe and flew fast towards Wang''s Inn. He couldn''t keep his good disciple waiting, not to mention he really missed looking at her charming face for thest day.


    That reminded him he should pick up something for her. He hadn''t given her anything other than things that were only limited to spirit arts.


    Now that their rtionship took another turn, he supposed he should cherish the moment.


    Gale scanned all the vendors on the street to see what he should take for her. He concentrated on activating his Qi sense over the surrounding festivity to find the right thing for her.


    There were plenty of things he would like her to have, and she would be delighted to have any of them. Well, she would be delighted to have anything from him. Such low was her requirement.


    Still, Gale thought it would be best if he took something precious.


    In the end, Gale thought of making her a ne. He found a few vendors open, with various gems and ornaments on disy. Instead of checking the things they left for disy, he checked out the jewellers.


    He scanned their aura and filtered through them to find the most qualified among them. It wasn''t an easy job, nor it waspletely effective, but Gale was fine moving around a couple of shops. Well, it did help filtered all the inexperienced jewellers.


    For the first, Gale chose an old man with an almost empty stall.

 Chapter 190 185 Festival And Festivities (3)

    The Wang''s Inn was neatly lit in colourful light constructs. From the lights around the gate and walls to the actual inn, all emitted light in brilliant vibrant colours, standing out far more than the surrounding houses and stores.


    Gale spectated from up as he approached his destination. The drum rolls and music were easily reaching here as well, as the Inn was just around the centre marketce.


    Gale didn''t fly around ceremoniously andnded directly on thewn with a bag full of food in his hand. Mostly meat rolls, dumplings, some other versions of spring rolls and meat-rted fast food, along with some sweets.


    As if known by his appearance through the bond, Xiaolin was already waiting on the open veranda, sitting with her chin on her palm. She noticed his presence before he evennded.


    Delight spread through her face as she found her masternding before her.


    "Master!" Xiaolin called, standing up. She couldn''t stop herself from leaping to embrace him in onerge movement. Gale was off bnce, but not by a lot. He barely took a step back to wee her embrace.


    "Sorry," Gale apologised, rubbing her head, "I''mte."


    Xiaolin hummed, holding him with all her might, wrapping her arms around his back. Gale hadn''t taken her for that much of a clingy type, but it seemed she missed him more than he did. He wasn''t sure if the bond influenced it somehow.


    Well, it could be, but Gale wasn''t worried about that. These kinds of spirit bonds were very intimate. If there was no genuine affection between the two people, it might as well weaken and eventually break off. So whatever its influence might be, it should be rted to the affection they already possessed. Just bouncing off each other through the bond.


    That reminded him Vale should be around here somewhere as well.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á-¨¾?¦Í¨º|¡¤§ã¨®§® "Woof!" The very moment arge furry hound barked gleefully,ing from the house to jump at the two of them in delight.


    Gale sided his disciple on his left in case the jump injured her and caught his big boy with one arm. Gale felt all his fatigue wash away as Vale licked his face and he caressed him. Gale stroked both of their back, feeling his spirit restored after long tiring work.


    He found a slender figure walking out of the house in their direction at a fast pace, probably noticing the disturbance. It was obviously the innkeeper, Wang Li. Thankfully, she hadn''t jumped at them.


    "Xiaolin, so your master finally is here," Wang Li said. "Well, after keeping you waiting for hours."


    Xiaolin withdrew from his embrace in the presence of her elder sister with a faint blush on her face and neck, that could be seen even in the glow of colourful light.


    "How long have you been waiting for me?"


    "Since you got here," Wang Li answered in her stead. "As for today, she was waiting on the veranda since she intuited you''reing through the bond."


    "I guess I can only apologise for my btedness," Gale said, bowing his head.


    He put most of his effort intopleting the Longread quickly, but that thing needed pretty exceptional work toplete. His diminished capabilities didn''t even let him fly at the top of his speed, which slowed him down further. Then he helped the blind girl and spend some time in the jewellery shop. At best, he could''ve cut half an hour, but that was it.


    Gale found no point contemting on spent time. He picked back the bag of hot food. "Look, I bought food for everyone."


    He had barely taken a quarter of an hour at the jewellery shop. Thankfully, the old jeweller had enough experience to work around the gems and ornament he wanted for Xiaolin.


    Of course, it would take time for him to create it. With almost the promise of four times the payment of his actual fee, Gale managed to convince him to make the ornament. Gale was fine wasting tens of that number on special asions like this.


    Still, his four times fee wasn''t much to Gale, barely a few hundred gold coins, not including the rare gems. Well, Gale provided the gems for it. He had misceneous stuff inside his void lock, which included different gems of different shapes, sizes, and abilities.


    "Alright everyone,e into the house," Wang Li called. "It''s gettingte already. We should prepare to burn the incense now. Gale, you probably aren''t aware, but we have a long tradition of burning incense and candles for the people we lost before the festival."


    "Hmm," Gale narrowed his eyes. "I havee across something simr during my travels as well."


    They spend some time eating the food Gale brought as Wang Li prepared everything toplete today''s tradition of burning incense for lost souls over the long years. Well, other than incense, she prepared candles, most of which were handcrafted by her or Grandma.


    She weed him to join in burning incense for the people he lost. Gale guessed these were the gestures that bring people together.


    Gale went near the small pond, along with Xiaolin as they lit the candle first. Xiaolin had a pensive look in her eyes, even though she was burning the incense for her mother¡ªwhom she had never seen in her life. As for her father, he was missing for over a year now, though his disciple was still struck by the idea that her father was alive, but just in trouble.


    "Mother, I never have seen you," Xiaolin prayed. "But I always pray for you. I wished you were always there for me like father had. I wished you were there to encourage me, even when the whole world deemed me as someone worthless. I wish you were there at the bad times with Father. I was too useless to help him. And now . . ."


    Xiaolin broke into tears as she burned the incense.


    Gale hadn''t told her hemissioned Twilight to find out more about the disappearance of her father. Obviously, he feared to give her false hope, knowing clearly how cruel and brutal the martial world was.


    Although Xiaolin should be mentally prepared to get bad news, Gale just didn''t want to upset her, as after so long, she had managed to get something she ever wanted.


    So he silently burned incense for Saarya, his first master, his first love. For Cameron, his first friend in this world. For Selene, his first unhealthy rtionship whom he grew to care for and cherish.


    For all the people who lost their lives because they chose to stand by his side and depend on him.


    "I''m sorry I failed you all," Gale said in a cracked voice. "I wish there was more I could have done, but I guessed I''m not the Hope you guys are looking for."


    Wang Li watched everything from the back, her eyes wavering at their figure. She heard them both of their preys, and stayed stood there silently, praying inwardly that they would find happiness in themselves.


    ____


    Oh my god, I became more sentimental writing thest 300 words than I ever assumed when I started this story.


    I guess that''s the magic of storytelling.

 Chapter 191 186: Void-Lock (1)

    About a month passed, and counting towards three whole months¡ªI was summoned to this wretched ce.


    In thest month, I have grown more robust than I had ever assumed, with heavy muscles in the right ces. I didn''t have mirrors, and nothing except the shiny gems to see my hazy reflection, but I was sure that I looked more than a couple of years older since I was summoned into this world.


    Barely three months passed, and my life on earth seemed like a distant dream. I missed everyone, my mother, my sister, and my step-siblings, although most of them were silly and grown to the teaching my father implemented. I wish I was there with them and impacted them somehow.


    Don''t get me wrong, I wasn''t thinking all this in misery. Although my misery hadn''t passed, I was a lot better. A lot better since my guardian angel came into my life.


    She taught me spirit arts, the most sacred and mysterious stuff of thisnd. And I absorbed all her teaching like a freaking sponge. Of course, I wasn''t nearly that talented, nor I had ess to the resources she talked about. However, I was better than how I arrived in this world.


    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® Anyway, Spirit arts aren''t easy at all, almost as tiring as mining in the hot temperature. Saarya said it was because of the contrasting environment and natural disorder in energy flow, whatever she meant. She left me stranded on many exnations and always seemed to be in haste toplete her teaching most nights.


    Well, she had nobody else to talk to, as far as I was aware. I feared she was worried about someone else finding out about our secret practice. I didn''t know why she really feared to show herself, but I chose to respect her stand on this and never tell a soul about her presence in my life.


    Even when the quota of mining those fire crystals rose every fortnight, I didn''t alwaysplete the quota even though I could with my rising strength. I hadn''t got to the Qi part of it. It made mining so much easier, although it exhausted me quicker.


    So with that, myshing count had reached two hundred sixties. Well, I wasn''t alone. Cameron''s number reached a hundred as well. I felt bad for not telling him about my cultivation, but I promised Saarya to keep her secret.


    I guess I''m not so different. I chose hoes before bros. Well, Saarya wasn''t a hoe, and even if she were, I would always put someone like her before everyone else.


    Anyway, back to the trouble of cycling. Apparently, the contracting environment and something else made cycling really difficult. I didn''t know if I understood all that well, as Saarya didn''t give a straightforward answer.


    Moreover, the important thing was that even those who had a good base of cultivation felt this difort and their strength dwindled slowly. That''s why most of the guards and other people emitted such furious vibes. They were constantly weakening. I wondered if anybody was aware of it other than us.


    This really wasn''t a ce for blossoming kindness.


    Only Saarya wasn''t like that. Of course, when I told her that, she became emotional and left without saying a word.


    The next night, Saarya appeared in my room, somehow mysteriously opening the door on her own without breaking or disabling anything.


    "Tonight, you''ll attempt to break into Copper," she announced as anticipation rose in my heart.


    "Hmm, are you sure about that?" I couldn''t calm my excitement from running wild, even though the first thing I asked for was assurance from her.


    "No," Saarya said easily as my lips twitched. "You should get into your head that spirit arts are unpredictable. You can prepare for thousands of probabilities, and still fail if heaven is against you."


    "I mean, are you sure I''m ready?"


    Saarya contemted an extended movement to answer. "You''re as ready as you can ever be in this environment."


    I guess that was enough to make me confident, though, in the back of my mind, I was frightened as fuck. I feared losing everything I managed to cultivate painstakingly so far. Fear of losing my life, as I''m not on an orthodox path of spirit arts.


    "Don''t think too much. It will only make you nervous. And as you''re now dying, it will only dwindle your chances of advancing sessfully."


    I nodded, calming myself with the breathing exercise she taught me.


    "So, how are we going to do about this?" I asked. "You never told me what is after this."


    "You can probably guess that already," Saarya said. Her tone was ever serious tonight. "You have to open yourself to a lot of energy and work through them fast."


    "Fast?"


    "Yes fast," Saarya said, as if it was a rule of thumb. "A sound advancement is a short advancement. So you have to make it as quick as possible. Of course, I''ll help you as much as I could, but most of it depends on you."


    I nodded heavily, drawing in a deep breath. "Should we start now?"


    "We will, but not here," Saarya said. "You need to get out there deeper into the mine in case someone detects the change in the air that your advancement causes."


    "That can happen?"


    "It is amon urrence during advancements. Although the shift was little in low ranks, it is better to be safe than sorry."


    So Saarya led him out of the quarter in the cover of darkness, also providing some camouge with her diminished illusion abilities.


    ____________


    This shback will be a short sequence. I''ll end it by tomorrow and move to the end of volume one, which should be somewhere in the third week of next month.


    So only about 50k words remaining. You will get to experience what I''ve been scheming for so many chapters.


    And please, if you have figured it out in a few more chapters, refrain from spoiling it for the others.


    I hate it when people ruin the ending. And if you can''t really stop yourself from talking when you reach the point, join my discord server and discuss it with directly me.


    Also, I might have good news, but need some rifications before I announce it. Don''t want to look like a fool if I got false news.

 Chapter 192 187 Void-Lock (2)

    My clothes were soaking wet halfway to where Saarya was taking me. It was way downer in the mine, even deeper than where I had to mine every day.


    Well, my resistance to heat had risen to a qualitative degree since I started practising Qi, but not to the point where I would survive even where the most potent fire crystals were mined. I feared I could be half-cooked if I stayed here for a few hours.


    Thankfully, Saarya took me to the area that had already been mined. Since the fire crystals were extracted already, the heat there was at a bearable level.


    We simply walked for about an hour and then finally the highdy was satisfied with the ce for me to go through the advancement.


    "Sit down," Saarya said, pointing to one corner. "And calm yourself."


    I did as I was told, sat down and calmed myself, getting into meditation. While Saarya did something else, I was close-eyed for a time to notice how she did it, but I found a twisted runic pattern in symmetric form all around me, glowing in a faint purple light.


    "This willst for about five minutes, and will help you umte energy a lot quicker," Saarya said as she leapt into the middle of the script forms to stand behind me. "Now you can begin. The process will be extremely painful for you. Of course, nothing like the physiological stabbing, it will be a different kind of pain."


    I narrowed my eyes, understanding.


    However, her next words caught me off guard. "You give up, you die."


    "So how long does it take for one to advance sessfully?" I asked, swallowing a breath.


    "It depends," Saarya answered. "Although for most people, it is between half an hour to a couple of an hour. However, in your case, we have toplete it within 10 minutes, or the chances of you failing will rise."


    I would like to ask for exnations about that, but that would pull me out of the vibe I got. Besides, the script form Saaryaid would vanish after a few minutes. It was painstakingly hard toy them as her strength was suppressed and dwindling even to this day.


    So after I got her permission, I began drawing in raw energy from the surroundings. On my good days, it took me a couple of minutes to get started, but today, with the script formation in ce, it barely took me any time to pull the energy towards me.


    Not to mention, the amount of energy was a lot as well. Easily doubled my usual practice.


    I simply cycled the energy through my body and my core energy pool. Saarya had exined the way to breakthrough on the way. It was pretty simple in theory and seemed to be the same in practice as well.


    Where was the excruciating pain Saarya was talking about? There was no pain whatsoever. My body was simply warming up as I umted energy.


    The way to breakthrough was a bit different from the regr umtion of Qi. In simpler words, the practitioner has to overflow his body with more energy than his body could handle and cycle at a tremendous speed until he reaches a point where his body supposedly goes through a fast metamorphosis process.


    What should have taken months of rigorous training happens in that short metamorphosis, altering the practitioner''s body to hold the energy he had umted. In the first advancement metamorphosis, the muscles, blood vessels, skin, and almost everything save for the bones went through a qualitative change.


    And that process was the most painful.


    I hadn''t even started to feel the vibe of a breakthrough yet.


    Well, if it was the pain I was looking for, I got it after the second minute passed. The cause behind the pain was simply the sheer amount of energy that was introduced to my body.


    It was a few times more than what I was used to and almost four times what I could handle on my own. I had to grit my teeth to keep them on the steady path, as the energy caused havoc inside me.


    It felt like my inside was tearing up slowly and the more time passed, the more the tear expanded, along with my agony.


    I hadn''t got the vibe of a breakthrough yet, and it was already feeling like an impossible dream to me. The pain was so much that it was expanding the time in my head.


    What was worse was that more energy was stilling into my body, as if pulled by some invisible hand.


    Before I knew it, berserk energy overflowed to cause Qi deviation, and only then I first got the vibe of a breakthrough.


    It was like a door to the next thing. I could barely see it, but could get to it, not when I was literally burning with excruciating pain.


    "Cycle faster," Saarya''s voice came into my mind as I felt a soothing hand on my head. In the next moment, a lot of my pain went away as if by magic.


    And it was by magic. Saarya used her means to block the pain from affecting my mind. She had only taken away the feeling of pain, not the damage the overwhelming amount of energy was doing to my body.


    Also, she only took away arge portion of my pain, not all of it. I might forget the existence of my body if she blocked everything from affecting me. After all, the pain was a reminder of what was wrong with the body.


    I waspletely awake after most of my pain was taken away from me. I focused back on the chaos reigning inside my channel and established my im over them. It wasn''t easy, not at all, with the amount of energy I had umted.


    "Push all the energy to your left hand," a voice said to me. It felt like Saarya''s voice, but more like a screech.


    Before I could decide anything about myself, the energy was already draining towards my left palm, towards the weird mark in my palm.


    Then I entered apletely different realm of existence.

 Chapter 193 188 Void-Lock (3)

    I was in apletely different world of existence.


    There was no light so far my eyes could gaze, yet somehow I could sense I wasn''t blind or close-eyed. Somehow, I could sense the surrounding changes.


    The space was in the state of ever-changing and altering into something else. Weird liquid-energy like matter expanding or minimising under my senses. I didn''t have enough scientific knowledge to call them dark matter, but I had no other word for it.


    But how I was sensing them though? Could they perhaps be something of my imagination? That seemed more likely. Then again, I would imagine something better, not something I barely understand.


    Then I finally saw a light. A reddish-purple source of light glittering far away, yet not brightening anything. It was simply bizarre, but somehow I was pulling closer to that light. The light grew almost blinding to my eyes as I screamed, getting closer to it at an rming rate.


    But before the light could devour me, I was out of that vision and into the mine where I was supposedly going through my first advancement.


    Oh, shit! My advancement!


    It didn''t take me long to recognise the meaning behind the words, but before I could do anything about it, I was shoved into the pit of insufferable agony. It was mostly on my left wrist. As if I have submerged my left wrist into liquid nitrogen. It was burning in an unrelenting, bone chilling fury.


    Even with Saarya''s block on my pain receptor, the experience was something else altogether. I wasn''t even sure if Saarya was still blocking my pain or not. That was how overwhelming it was. Well, the first experience of spirit tear felt like that. Linlin you have felt it already, so you should know what I was talking about.


    "Don''t give in," her voice said to my mind, "you almost made it. Don''t give in now. You''re my only hope."


    Her voice seemed to have some power, as it brought out thest bit of willpower out of me. I was screaming with all my might as far as I was aware, beating my fists against the hard rocks. The burning agony was so much in my left wrist that I forgot about all the other pain in my other parts of my body, which were going through a qualitative change as well.


    And that was about it. The painsted for a couple more minutes, though I felt like it was for hours I had suffered.


    I passed out after the pain ended, dreaming about a shower, a breakfast and . . .


    My mind probably had no energy even dreaming, and I was about the same when I woke up. The first thing that I found after waking up was a terrible stench, and I was the source of it.


    Thankfully, Saarya was still there. My head was resting on herp, as her fingers yed with my rustic long hair, caressing and stroking them slowly. She didn''t seem to be in any difort in that reek, probably did something with her spirit arts.


    Saarya''s spirit arts are simply like cheating.


    She was on something else as it took her a couple of moments to notice, I opened my eyes. Saarya blinked a couple of times before a delightful smile crept to her lips, which could even light the darkest ce of the world.


    "So. . ." I croaked to ask, "I have. . ."


    I couldn''t even say the wordspletely, but she knew what I was asking.


    "You have seeded," Saarya said, pulling me closer to her chest. "Even against all odds, you made it. I thought you are dying and almost stopped the advancement process, but you made it."


    Before I knew it, she kissed me on the forehead. It made me even happier than my first lip to lip kiss. Well, arge part of it was probably because of the breakthrough. Her kiss simply opened the door to my delights.


    However, I didn''t even have the energy to stand back up, much less celebrate. I simply groaned in celebration.


    "Is it always like this?" I croaked.


    Saarya shook her head. "You''re a special case," she said. "I guess most people would be left in a rather sorry state if they advance in this environment, but it was more so in your case."


    "Why?"


    "Look at your left wrist," Saarya said, as if that answered the question.


    As a matter of fact, it did. The source of the pain was mostly my left wrist. The freaking fate mark.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Saarya helped me draw the palm on my eye level. My left palm waspletely numb after what happened there.


    "You have sessfully bound your initial fate," Saarya said, drawing her finger over the thick spiral lines of my wrist, which seemed to have advanced a lot through the process. It was all over my wrist now, easily noticeable, unless I cover my palmpletely.


    "Did. . . did it mean," I asked, swallowing my breath, "it will give me superpower."


    I was looking at her face hopefully, as Saarya took some time to answer.


    "Yes," she said.


    I screamed something incoherent immediately in delight.


    "You don''t even know what you can do, and you''re celebrating?"


    "I mean, I can do something, right?"


    "Sure," Saarya said, "and wouldn''t your first priority be figuring out what you can do?"


    I nodded heavily. Well, as far as my body let me. Then I remembered how drained I was. "I barely have any Qi left in me," Iined.


    "Wait a while, your Qi will be restored quicker," Saarya said. "You''re a copper now, and more importantly, a Fatebearer. My Fatebearer."


    "Hmm," I hummed, snuggling into the soft cushion that was her chest.


    About an hourter, it was still dark, but my body had recovered quickly to let me do most simple things, including drawing in Qi, which became as simple as drinking water to me.


    I was sitting right where I advanced, while the woman who was my master in all this stood next to me with a contemtive look in her eyes.


    "Draw energy to the mark slowly," Saarya advised me. "When your energy reaches the mark, you''ll feel something. You probably wouldn''t understand what you can do, but slowly and--"


    "Saarya, what is this?" I asked, pointing at something I created before she could finish her advice.


    "Already?" she asked, her voice a bit rmed. "I guess the pain helped you get a better understanding of its capabilities."


    She stooped next to me and frowned at the dark hole like thing I created when I drew energy to the mark.


    "What is this?" I asked again as I found her entering a trance, looking at it.


    "A hole in reality," Saarya answered. "Also the initial release of your fate lock."


    "Fate lock?" I raised an eyebrow. "Not mark?"


    "Same thing," Saarya said. "Humans needlesslyplicate things. Anyway, pick up a pebble and throw into it."


    I had simr intentions as I was ready with a fist-sized stone, just wasn''t impulsive enough to it without her permission.


    I sucked in a deep breath and maintained a good distance from the hole. It didn''t stick close to me just because I created it, though its size dwindled.


    I tossed the stone straight to the hole, and as I hoped, the stone vanished into the hole.


    "The magic is notplete if I can''t make the stone reappear," I said as I looked carefully at Saarya. "Where is the prestige in it?"

 Chapter 194 189 Void-Lock (4)

    I crept back to my room in utter frustration. The dopamine release subsided as almost all the happiness of advancement drained out of me. All the pain I suffered for so long was only for half a trick.


    I couldn''t make the stone reappear.


    "There''s no prestige to my magic," I said, grunting ufortably after entering my room.


    "Prestige?" Saarya raised an eyebrow. Her nose was still wrinkled even though she couldn''t smell the reek, mostly.


    Well, she couldn''t keep the art going forever, as she already had exhausted herself in drawing the spirit formation and helping me throughout the process.


    There was literally ayer of gunk over my skin before. Although Saarya had cleaned that off mostly when I was resting, I still emanated a terrible stench.


    Of course, we couldn''t smell much of it throughout and even now.


    Saarya was a master at manipting the mind, so blocking the receptor that helped in smelling was a pretty simple job for her.


    "This isn''t magic in the sense you''re hoping it to be."


    "But I was supposed to make the stone reappear," Iined. "Or what''s the point of it?"


    "That you''ll do," Saarya said. "You just need to give it some time."


    "How much time?"


    "Until you have the energy to learn more about your fate lock," Saarya said.


    I narrowed my eyes, noticing she knew exactly what I needed to do to get my prestige. "Do you know how to make the stone reappear?"


    "I might," Saarya smiled. "I can teach you an art that could help you do it, though I can''t say for sure."


    "What art?"


    "Not now," Saarya said. "You''re tired, you need sleep at this moment."


    "What are you talking about?" I said, bloating my biceps in front of her. The advancement chiselled it down even more, as the outline of my shape looked far more professional. "I''m full of energy."


    Saarya just shook her head. "Even if I try to teach you now, you won''t be able to learn it that easily."


    "Try me," I said, still with those provoking poses.


    Saarya clicked her tongue. "Fine, sit with me then."


    Saarya led me to the stone bed, and we sat side by side.


    "Remove your vest," Saarya said, as my heart skipped a bit.


    "You mean. . ." my voice trailed off, lost for words.


    Saarya simply hit me in the heat. Then she removed the cue from my head, as I could smell the terrible reek again. "I''ll only clean off the impurities and reek."


    I gave her a disgusting look, asking why.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You need to lose that smell in case others suspect something out of this," she reasoned.


    That seemed usible, though most people reeked terribly, not having enough water to bathe every day. Also, all practitioners went through this same thing after their breakthrough, so her worry was valid.


    I turned and brought the water pot, which barely had any water left in it. Besides, there was no way just water was enough to cleanse this kind of reek.


    "Remove, or do you want me to do everything?"


    "Oh, of course," I said, and immediately stripped down my vest, which reeked no less than myself I feared. I have a terrible urge to send it to the other dimension on my left wrist, but sadly, I only have another vest like that. very was exceedingly unhygienic.


    I sat straight in front of Saarya, whoid her eyes upon my upper body without much change in her expression, yet I felt goosebumps crawling upon my skin. She hadn''t even touched me.


    "Don''t think too much about it," Saarya said. "In my better days, I have treated worse conditions."


    Her palm glowed in a faint whitish-golden light as she drew closer to me. Unconsciously, I sniffed her body odour. Even though she had been quite close to me the whole time, she only reeked of dreams.


    "That look in your eyes always makes me reconsider," Saarya said offhandedly as she touched me with those glowing hands, "had I done a blunder in choosing you?"


    "That seemed a bit harsh," I said, biting my lips. I mean, was there a healthy youth left in the world who won''t get turned on by a woman as beautiful as her? Besides, my conditions were even severe with my life as a ve.


    She was simply too close to me. Wherever her palm touched, it cleansed off all the filth and cleanse the stench of me. Saarya had helped me heal before. In her words, this was simply something like a cleansing spell. She had varieties of simple spells like that. Well, she had been only two steps away from divinity, after all.


    "I guess youth will always be youth," shemented, cleaning off my chest.


    I just squealed inwardly.


    After giving me shivers with her palm, she moved to my back, stroking my back with both of her palms. When done with my upper body, she regarded me, her eyes on my lower body.


    "Umm," I licked my lips, unsure how to say this. Then I noticed the tent on my pants that seemed to be only growing as her eyes were on it still.


    Gale interrupted his narration and turned to face his disciple.


    "I think I should omit some parts of theter part," he said as a blush appeared on Xiaolin''s face.


    "Master, it''s fine," Xiaolin squeaked. "I''m an adult. I won''t mind hearing it all."


    "I mean, won''t you get ufortable hearing me get intimate with another woman?"


    Xiaolin blinked, uncertain about the answer to that question. "I won''t find out if you skip it," she said after long deliberation. Her face was red with only that.


    "Fine," Gale said. "Then again, what you''re thinking didn''t happen."


    So Gale continued his narration.


    Thankfully, the innkeeper wasn''t here to hear his tale.


    ________


    I guess it would have made more sense to clean off the filth where Gale advanced¡­ Sadly, Ipletely forgot about it until I was halfway down this chapter.

 Chapter 195 190 Void-Lock (5)

    NSFW/implicit


    ____


    "Quit acting like a virgin maiden," Saarya said impatiently, "I don''t have all day."


    I waspletely out of my depth as I heard her. I thought about acting cool, but it was immensely hard to do that when you''re red like a tomato. And worse of all, my manhood wasn''t making it any easier.


    Saarya narrowed her eyes at me as if assessing my bodynguage.


    "Don''t tell me," she was stunned as a grin spread on her lips, "you''re a virgin."


    "No," I said almost immediately. I lost the battle there, not to mention the tone wasn''t even enough to convince myself, much less someone else.


    Saarya wasn''tughing at me for my blunder, but that grin stuck to her lips the whole time led me to groan out in frustration.


    "Fine," I said, gritting my teeth. "I''m a virgin. What of it?"


    "Nothing," Saarya said, still with that smile. "I just thought it was funny."


    "What''s funny about it?" I croaked, glowering at her. "I''m not that old, only eighteen. . ."


    My voice trailed off, knowing I wasn''t convincing anything with that argument, only made it harder for me.


    "Well, I can pretty easily foresee you being adies'' man," Saarya said, tucking on my shoulder. "Never took you for a virgin with how you flirt with me asionally. And I was a figure of high regard to you, several times older than you. I wonder how you act around other girls."


    I simply snorted, hiding my face.


    The thing was that if I found something funny or sharp, I couldn''t keep that inside myself. Sometimes they were outright rude, sometimes they could be interpreted as flirtatious.


    Besides, I was mostly alone in this forsaken hell, with nobody important to talk to. So when I got into the good graces of a woman such as herself, I had to pull everything to impress her. Not to mention, she was breathtakingly attractive to me.


    "Fine," Saarya said atst, "taking your virgin heart into consideration, you don''t have to remove your pants. I''ll just tire myself a little more with the cleansing light. No big deals."


    I bit my lips, couldn''t agree to strip down anymore. So I let her do whatever she pleased, which was to let her stroke my legs over the clothes on.


    It was still enough to send a shiver down my spine, while my manhood stood like the pir of heaven. Another demerit of being a ve, you''ll never get to relieve yourself properly.


    That''s why events like rape and prostitution were oddly frequent among the ves.


    Saarya was done cleaning my lower legs. She asked me to stand up, so she would have an easier time cleansing me.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I abided her, even though I stood before her like the most awkward man in the universe, even to this day. She simply ignored the tent in my groins and get to her work. Her palm touched the back of my thigh, sending shivers through the touch and the cleansing light, which was more soothing than anything I would say.


    She moved onto my hips and I gritted my teeth to keep on standing straight. When done with my back, she came in front of me and crouched. She barely touched my thigh, and I couldn''t endure it anymore.


    I lunged at her, grunting through my gritted teeth. I held her strongly with my arms, catching her off guard before both of us tumble on the ground. Although I have seen Saarya showing a varied estimation of physical strength, she was soft and tender to my touch.


    As I fell on top of her, she only made a whimper of surprise. I hadn''t injured her in any way, not that I would everud this kind of behaviour of mine.


    She whimpered in surprise once when I jumped at her. And she whimpered again when I sealed her lips with mine.


    I didn''t know what got into me, but I kissed her so roughly, as if I was starving for ages. On the ground, I held her in one ce and sucked the lights out of her lips, as sweetness and everything I ever wanted blossomed inside of me.


    Saarya was bbergasted at first about what to do. She whimpered into my mouth, unable to struggle out of my grasp at first. She hadn''t protested when I kissed her so violently and seemed to ask if returned the favour a little on her part as well.


    But that was merely a couple of seconds. Or simply my misinterpretation.


    After that, it was merely me ying with her lips rigidly.


    Only then did the things I had donee to me. It came like a wrecking ball in my direction as I remove my lips from hers as she looked at me, with not-so-humanly eyes.


    "Are you done?" she asked, her voice neutral.


    I didn''t have anything in me to answer. I got off her and stood with a remorseful look in my eyes.


    "I''m sorry. . ." My voice trailed off as I repeated those words again. I was literally screaming inside with the urge to hit my head against the stone wall.


    Saarya''s eyes narrowed on me for an extended period of time, and then she regained her softness again, though I couldn''t say what It didn''t change anything between us.


    "Don''t be," she said with a sigh. "I''m profoundly older than you, and this is a failure on my part. I might have given you the wrong signal the way I converse with you, and that. . ."


    "I''m sorry," I repeated. "However you may have acted didn''t reflect on how. . . what I did just now. Punish me in whatever way you deem it necessary. . .  just don''t. . . don''t leave me."


    Saarya didn''t say anything, just stared at me for a long, before she came forward and finished what she had started. She cleansed all the filth and stench of me, albeit more awkwardly than before.


    Done with everything, she considered me. "I''lle tomorrow to teach you to gain your prestige."


    She left me with those words. It took a moment for me to recognise the words I said, as I was sure she would leave me to my devices after what I did.


    I leapt into the air and crashed down onto the ground, my palm on my chest.

 Chapter 196 191 Drama (1)

    The Wang''s Inn was always filled with crowds during the festivals. Well, mostly during the night as people need a roof over their heads after all the celebrations at the festivals.


    The innkeeper was busy moving around all over the inn, and even outside to the marketce. For some reason, she seemed to keep forgetting one or two supplies that she needed to buy every time she was out.


    Thankfully, the store was near the inn, so she didn''t have to travel long on foot. Still, this time, to not forget anything, Wang Li came up with a list.


    This time, she nned to purchase every supply the inn required. It was her sixth round since she woke up, and this time she had a couple of individuals with her for help. Gale and Xiaolin decided to tag along with her, since they had nothing to do in the inn.


    Even though it was only noon, the walkways were bustling with children ying around in new clothes, while grown men and women were purchasing stuff around the vendors and shops.


    After leaving the list to the familiar shopkeeper, Wang Li moved towards the tailor shop to see if her clothes were done yet. Well, today was the festival, so it was probably ready.


    Honesty, shepletely forgot that she had to collect it back. After all, she had no intention of getting new clothes for herself. It was simply the foreigner ying on his whims when she told him she would gift him and Linlin dresses for the festival.


    But what''s done was done. She simply couldn''t discard a gift given out of a fair heart. Besides, the fabric would suit her well. And Master Gale and Xiaolin would probably see to it that she wears that cloth at the festival.


    She led the master-disciple pair as they discussed mundane matters between themselves. Gale was simply buying anything that came fancy to his eyes. He had a new home to decorate.


    Other than house-warming stuff, he was handing out every kind of local cuisine he came across to Linlin, and making her eat it in his stead after he took a couple of sips or bites.


    In retrospect, Xiaolin was giving her a part of it to eat as well. Wang Li was already full to have lunch now.


    It didn''t take long for her to reach the tailor''s shop, and it was more crowded than she had hoped. She was about to use her familiarity with the shop owner to get her things, but Wang Li halted, finding a couple of familiar figures.


    Among them, the first that caught her eyes was a figure of adoration of the crowd. A young girl with milky skin and probably the fairest look in the town. She probably would have won in that contest before, but after Xiaolin''s advancement, the girl was a literal fairy among mortals. Still, not taking anything from the figure before her, who had a mature figure with toned curves outlined through the robe she wore.


    However, the figure next to her made her frown. Wang Li turned her head to the foreigner.


    "Gale," she called. "You might need to handle this."


    Gale was exining some recipes to his disciple, but he broke that and turned his head to find what Wang Li was worried about. Xiaolin''s eyes found what it was about as well, and her expression changed immediately.


    "Master," Xiaolin called. She wasn''t prepared for the confrontation yet.


    "Rx," Gale said, sensing more of her worry through the bond.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It wasn''t just their party who noticed the other party, but the other party had noticed their approach as well.


    A grin spread on the lips of the youth as he walked forward.


    "Looks whom we have here," Han Xiao said. Now, as an Iron ranker, his mindset seemed barely changed.


    "Nobody special," Gale cut him off with a grin of his. "Just a random guy who embarrassed someone''s father in his own home."


    Han Xiao snorted, not going into outrage easily to his provocation. Perhaps, maybe, conceivably, Han Xiao gained some wisdom? Gale mused, but the next words out of the young lord''s mouth, proved him wrong easily.


    "Joke whatever you want, Outsider," Han Xiao said, ring his newfound strength as if to intimate him and his disciple. "I''ll collect all the debts of humiliation you and your disciple caused me and my family."


    ''Most probably not,'' Gale mused. ''He is still that entitled brat that thinks his family was wronged in this.''


    The beautiful maiden on the back¡ªLuo Qing''e, the mayor''s daughter and cousin of Han Xiao¡ªclearly looked to be in trouble as a confrontation between them seemed impossibly hard not to escte.


    "Well, well," Gale said with augh. "I guess they shoved down spirit marks through your ass to make a dimwit like you rank up. Don''t worry, I don''t judge people for using their wealth, just for the way they use it.


    "Linlin, why don''t you congratte your opponent on his undeserved breakthrough?"


    Wang Li shook her head, understanding she asked the wrong man to pacify the encounter from escting. Gale was simply a beast at trash-talking, and could infuriate a ck sheep like Han Xiao barely using his brain toe up with retorts.


    Xiaolin exchanged a look with Gale and faced Han Xiao. She hadn''t noticed anything about his breakthrough before. It was only her master''s words broke that into her mind. Her heart was beating faster, but she confronted her nightmare courageously with all herposure.


    "Congrats on your breakthrough," Xiaolin said. As if by getting influenced by staying with Gale for some time, she couldn''t help but add, "I hope you''lle around to learn better, instead of acting like a Young Lord entitled to everything."


    For anything, Xiaolin was earnest. Not that it made Han Xiao feel any better.


    How could the noble son of the Han n take the advice of a powerless girl from some unknown rural site seriously?


    "The audacity," Han Xiao growled. "Do I need your approval, a bitch like you, to live my life?"

 Chapter 197 192 Drama (2)

    Xiaolin''s expression grew unsightly as she heard Han Xiao. That wasn''t just her. Even Wang Li and the mayor''s daughter were in simr positions.


    Gale could feel the indignation Xiaolin was feeling through the bond. It was making him irritated as well. How the hell did this halfwit have the gall to talk to his disciple like this, that too, in this bright spirit of the festival?


    It simply soured the mood of festivity.


    Sadly, Xiaolin wasn''t eloquent enough to confront Han Xiao on her own. So it was Gale who would have to deal with this young master, even though he wasn''t a fan of throwing his weight around.


    "It seemed you forgot what happened thest time you let your mouth run wild," Gale said, narrowing his eyes at Han Xiao. He barely did anything, but Han Xiao''s swallowed his breath as his throat dried. "You barely made it to regard yourself as a practitioner. Who gave you the gall to talk like that to my disciple?"


    Han Xiao opened his mouth to answer, but as he was taking too much time to answer, someone else did it in his ce.


    "The Han n." The shadowy assassin of the Han family came out from the back to stand next to Han Xiao, providing him enough courage to the young master to continue on.


    "What does a single gold ranker of no affiliation amount to the Great Han n?" Assassin Hao said, his voice full of jeer. "Young Master, do you know the answer?"


    Han Xiao looked at the old assassin questioningly.


    "Only fertilisers," Assassin Hao said, his grin spreading wide.


    The air in the surroundings stilled in the next moment as time seemed to halt for Gale. He was about to do something terrible that he might regret doing on this asion, but he had a terrible urge to go back to the days of brutality again, no matter how much he hated it. . .


    Gale was about to continue with his intention, but suddenly a soft pair of palms caught his arm.


    Gale turned to find it wasn''t his disciple, but the innkeeper, who wasn''t caught off guard like everyone else around.


    "Don''t," she said simply, her voice pleading.


    Gale blinked, putting a check on his wild emotions. Somehow, it red out of his depth unwittingly after hearing the Oldman''s taunting words.


    He felt a tinge of pain in his chest and his left arm, and found himself harbouring onto all of the power he had essed too. Gale calmed his breathing, wondering how he got out of control so easily. He thought his mental health was developing well, spending good times with his disciple and everyone else.


    "Thank you," Gale said. But Wang Li didn''t draw back her palms from his arm. "I can handle it from here."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes at him and finally nodded. Although Gale could take a murderous look easily in her eyes, the expression a moment ago was the real deal. She intuitively believed if she hadn''t stopped it, he might have killed that Oldman for running his mouth wild. Well, she might be overreacting, but it was better that he stopped.


    Of course, Gale might have got away with it after dealing with some annoying stuff, but as far as she knew the foreigner, she was sure he didn''t like the path of violence all the time. Well, most of the time.


    ording to Xiaolin, Vale was a Spirit of Guardian. No spirit creature of such a nature would bond with someone who''d give in to wanton violence.


    "Master, are you alright?" Xiaolin looked at Gale worriedly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes," Gale said. "I have spent great length to keep my emotions in check for years. It would be real inconvenience for me, if I gave in to it, listening to such a fool."


    Gale released most of his grasp over his power as the grin came back to his lips. He tilted his head to look at Assassin Hao.


    "What did you say just now?" Gale asked, walking slow steps towards the other party. "A good ranker amount of only fertiliser to the Han Family?"


    Gale kept oning for the old assassin, who found his legs swaying. "I wonder what''s a silver ranker amount to the Han Family?"


    Gale put his hand on the old assassin''s shoulder, clutching tight so that the Oldman didn''t run away.


    "Oi, Young master Han, do you know what is the worth of a silver ranker to your family?" Gale asked, turning to Han Xiao, who clearly appeared troubled.


    "What?" Han Xiao stuttered. "What are you intending to do?"


    "Nothing, just some simple mathematics on fertilisers," Gale said with a brilliant smile, "you know how poor of a farmer I am. Anyway, this old bastard was saying something about your family running a fertiliser business. Care to exin that?"


    "You won''t get away with this!"


    "Get away with what?" Gale asked, curious. "Did I just misinterpret the whole fertiliser business? Oldman, care to exin what you said just a moment ago with that great zeal?"


    Gale waited with great expectation for the Oldman toe up with anything. It was really easy to give quipments on gold rankers under the shelter of a great family, but definitely not when that gold ranker was looming over you with his arms clutched to your shoulders.


    One wrong word and his neck might get cracked.


    Gale hadn''t had his fun yet when a voice entered his ears


    "That''s enough, Gale," the noble son of the Sun n, Sun Ziang, to the rescue of this poor Oldman. And it seemed he was called by none other than Luo Qing''e. Well, he should be around here nearby to get here quickly.


    "Already?" Gale asked, drawing back his arm from the cold-sweating Oldman. "Maybe I''ll never know about fertilisers again."


    Sun Ziang simply snorted as he turned to face the young lord of the Han family and his entourage. "Do you know what ords your father agreed to with Gale?"


    ____


    Thank you, everyone, this book won the best neer award in the fantasy carnival. This wouldn''t have been possible without you.


    To celebrate this, I''ll drop 5 bonus chapters this week.


    Thank you, you guys are the best.

 Chapter 198 192 Drama (3)

    [Bonus chapter 1/5]


    "Do you know what ords your father agreed to with Gale?"


    "We are not supposed to make trouble for him or the people close to him," Han Xiao said, his voiceing out as a growl. "But this time, I didn''t make the trouble. It was the outsider."


    "Is that so?" Sun Ziang turned to face Gale, as if wanting some exnation from his end.


    Gale shrugged. "There are a few things I hate ardently," he said. "Exining my conduct is one among the top."


    Sun Ziang groaned audibly. "You''re needlessly making both of our cases harder. I can''t help but assume you''re the one looking for trouble."


    "Fine, fine," Gale said, "I''ll exin myself once this time, just for you, even with all my reluctance. So things happened like this: Han Xiao acted arrogantly in front of me, which led me to make a little fun of him¡ªnothing too serious, I assure you¡ªthen I asked my dear little disciple to congratte him on breaking into iron. She did and even advised him in her fair heart.


    "Unfortunately, that dimwit feels himself top of the world to listen to her. He used his filthy mouth to reprimand her. I didn''t like it very much. I retorted, which that old bloke didn''t like much. He came out of nowhere and suggested something along the like of making fertilisers of me. If I''m not getting it wrong.


    "And that was about it. And here we are."


    "Here we are," Sun Ziang reiterated. He turned to face the people from Han Family. "Do you have anything else to add?"


    "That isn''t how it went!" Uncle Hao croaked, and was about toe up with his interpretation of the matter, however, before he could do so, Luo Qing''e came forward and stole his show.


    "Uncle Hao, please stop it," Luo Qing''e said. "You''re only making us look bad. There''s no need to escte the quarrel further."


    She earned a grunt from the old assassin, but the mayor''s daughter continued on at her pace, turning her head towards Sun Ziang.


    "Officer, it is just about what Senior Gale mentioned. While both parties were at fault, Uncle Hao took it too far, considering his rank."


    Uncle Hao''s face turned unsightly as she finished. Even Han Xiao''s expression didn''t look that good, leading them to wonder which team she was in.


    "At least you have someone sensible among you," Gale said, approving Luo Qing''e''s intervention with a thumbs up. He didn''t know if she understood the gesture, as she simply withdrew, flustering a little.


    "So it is a simple quarrel between practitioners," Sun Ziang said,ing to a conclusion. "I would have taken all of you to the station, but since this is an asion of festivity, I''m pretty sure none of the two parties would want to spend an hour there answering questions to fill out paperwork for this."


    "Maybe I should hire someone for this," Gale thought out loud, "considering how easily I''m getting into trouble these days. Sadly, your world doesn''t havewyers yet."


    Sun Ziang chose to ignore him, ying the role of the enforcer. "If both parties choose to let go of this matter here, we''ll end it here."


    "Officer," Luo Qing''e decided for the Han family, "that would be for the best."


    Sun Ziang turned to Gale, who simply shrugged his shoulder.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale would have liked some apology for Xiaolin, but that would be too much sheltering on his part. Linlin still had many aspects to grow.


    So they ended the matter there.


    ***


    Xiaolin came back with Wang Li with a heavier heart after the confrontation with Han Xiao. Her Master had some work somewhere around there that he didn''t exinpletely so he didn''t return with them.


    Although Xiaolin wanted to go around with him, he fly away before she could even say a word. He simply gave an excuse, like she had to prepare her makeup for the night, and he''lle back within an hour.


    "Stop brooding like a fool," her elder sister told her. "He said he''lle back in time."


    Xiaolin simply pouted. "I just hope he wasn''t going around flirting with other girls."


    Wang Li shot her a thoughtful look, and wasn''t sure what to answer. "Probably not, since he told you to prepare for the night. Maybe he''s preparing the liveliest date for you."


    It was easy to make Xiaolin blush.


    "Come on, I''ll make you a beauty that can topple a kingdom."


    "Elder sister!"


    They would have reached the Inn in about a few minutes, carrying the heavy loads of supplies, which wasn''t particrly difficult for them. It was thankfully still afternoon, so there wasn''t much crowd to create trouble for them in walking around.


    Still, they found dozens of people moving around the road. However, it was something else in a particr corner of the Inn, where dozens of audiences crowded together as if enjoying some great artist at work.


    "What''s that about?" Wang Li muttered. She couldn''t remember anyone taking that area to run their show, as it was still rather offside from the festivity, not to mention gathering this kind of crowd in broad daylight.


    Exchanging a nce with Xiaolin, they moved into the crowd to find out what that was about.


    In the middle of the crowd, they found two girls, both beautiful like flowers, although one seemed a tad too tomboyish with her personality, while the other was exactly the opposite. She was equally, if not more, reserved than Xiaolin.


    The tomboy girl had a head full of silvery white hair, a matching robe and a sword on her back. She was tall for a girl, but that simply gave a heroic look to her charm.


    As for the reserved girl, in simpler words, she was simply like a doll carved out of the finest ingredients by a master doll maker. She was fairer between the duo, not that the tomgirl wasn''t fair enough. Simply, the reserve girl''splexion was white-toned, with freckles on her face.


    It was simply an audience-worthy drama.

 Chapter 199 193 Drama (4)

    [Bonus Chapter 2/5]


    Looking at them from afar in the crowds, they weren''t sure what it was about. Thankfully, they found someone familiar to get the gist of it.


    Apparently, the doll girl was creeping around the festival in one mind when a group of idiots came to pick on her. The doll girl easily said "no" to all the suitors that tried to hit on her, but the youths were in the mood of festivity. How could they just leave after getting a rejection?


    They encircled the girl, with the intention of having some fun, as the girl was simply reserved and awkward in nature. Although she showed her spirit arts-based, it was simply nothing that the group couldn''t handle.


    That was when the heroic girl drew her entrance, on to the rescue of the damsel in distress, standing out for a fellow female practitioner.


    The tom girl easily scared away the group of youth, rescuing the maiden in distress. Her base of spirit art was easily higher than the youths, as the girl was already a silver ranker, even with her younger appearance.


    The doll girl bowed her head in gratitude for helping her, and this would have ended right there with everyone leaving with their lives.


    But apparently not. The tom girl apparently had other intentions after saving the doll girl.


    The white-haired girl couldn''t control herself and confessed her love and adoration for the doll girl right at that moment, catching the girl, the crowd, and even the previous group of youths, off guard.


    Wang Li waspletely bbergasted when they got to that point. She exchanged another look with Xiaolin, who could simply shrug, looking at the girls.


    "I do admit," Xiaolin said, "she''s really like a doll. I don''t know why, but I have the urge to bathe her,b her hair and clothe her with something better."


    Wang Li shot her a re, never knew Xiaolin swung this way as well.


    "But. . . but, she''s so cute," Xiaolin said in defence. "I have no ulterior motive like that girl."


    Wang Li shook her head as the drama kept on continuing. The white-haired girl wasn''t taking no for an answer, bringing out and bragging about everything she had aplished. Whereas the doll girl was clearly dying inside, being the centre of attention of the crowd.


    "I don''t know how I can get your approval," said the white-haired tomgirl. "Tell me something I need to aplish. I''ll do it. This is Lian''s promise to you."


    "Please," the doll girl squeaked, clutching the end of her robe in the waist with her fingers, unable toe up with anything. "Please. . ."


    "I mean, don''t cut the blood of the Sun n short," the white-haired girl said. "Tell me anything, I''ll aplish it."


    A frown crept to Wang Li''s brows as she heard it. She blinked and turned to Xiaolin, making sure he heard it right.


    "I should have made the connection first," Xiaolin said, "with that white hair and smell."


    "I guess the Sun n is full of unique individuals," Wang Li said.


    She thought about how to crash this drama, as she simply couldn''t watch the doll girl getting toyed with like this since the pale doll girl clearly seemed to have a problem with crowds.


    "You''re from the Great Sun n?" Wang Li asked, pitching her voice louder, enough to get into the ears of the tomgirl, who didn''t seem to notice or care about the crowd she had gathered.


    "Yes, of course," Sun Lian said proudly. "I''m Sun Lian, granddaughter of Sun Jun, Great granddaughter of--"


    "Do you know Sun Ziang?" Wang Li simply cut her off. "He should be rted to you somehow."


    "You know Sun Ziang?" Sun Lian''s expression changed immediately. "Is he here?"


    "Yes," Wang Li said. "Come with me. I''ll take you to meet him?"


    The girl of the great Sun n clearly became panicked hearing that, though she yed it cool,ughing wildly.


    "How could I inconvenience you," Sun Lian said, ready to wander off on her own. "I''ll find him on my own."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No, no, it isn''t inconvenient at all," Wang Li said. "He''s staying at our inn, and we''re distantly rted, so it--"


    That made the girl panic even more. She bowed the next moment and literally shot out of the crowds in a white sh before anyone could stop her.


    Wang Li exchanged a look with Xiaolin who was just as well bbergasted as her. They guessed Sun Ziang''s identity was enough to induce fear even in an outrageous girl like her, who simply confessed to another girl in broad daylight.


    Wang Li sighed, as the problem was half-solved. Though she had to disperse the crowd now.


    "What are you all looking at?" She barked at the crowd as if it was her town. "Get back to your work. There''s nothing left to see here."


    While most of the crowd spread hearing her, some of them still lingered, as charming and cute girls like Xiaolin and the pale girl were a sight to behold. Not to mention, Wang Li didn''t lose out with her mature charm.


    Wang Li sighed and was turning to Xiaolin, only to find the golden blonde girl next to the doll girl.


    Thankfully, Xiaolin didn''t confess to the pale girl. That would have been simply too much for the pal girl to handle in the scope of a few minutes.


    She literally looked sick of all the confrontation, face red, sweating ufortably in the cold weather.


    Wang Li joined Xiaolin with the Pale girl, who bowed to her for the rescue.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Chen," the girl said softly, breathing heavily, "Fang Chen."


    "Well, Xiao Chen," Wang Li said. "The crowd had been tough on you. Do you want to take a breather? Our house is just in the corner?"


    Fang Chen nodded readily. She seemed to curious about Xiaolin''s glowing hair, but too introverted to ask.


    "Come on then. You seemed like you havee a long way, if you don''t have a ce for the night, you can stay with us."


    Xiaolin and Wang Li led the panic-stricken girl into their Inn, not conversing much as the girl was clearly ufortable with that.


    It didn''t take long for Wang Li to notice a group of fellows following them, but whenever she turned to face them, they looked away to their own business of gazing at the sun.


    "Go home, morons. She''s already taken," Wang Li yelled at them. "If her master sees you, he''ll murder you and your whole family."


    A few ufortable gulps of swallowing breath and coughs sounded out in the surroundings, as most of them chose one direction or another and hurried away. From a slow,posed walk to aplete sprint.


    "Your master is growing his fame pretty well," Wang Limented to Xiaolin.


    "Master would have simply scared them away," Xiaolin said, "for this."


    "Which I did," added Wang Li.


    Xiaolin couldn''t argue with that. "You did a little more than scare them."


    "True, anyway, let''s enter. I still have to feed Rong''er before I can prepare you. Brace yourself Linlin, today you''llpletely infatuate your master with your looks."


    ____________


    Okay, I can do another one before sleeping. . . 2 hours

 Chapter 200 194: The Oracle (1)

    [Bonus Chapter 3/5]


    Gale came back afterpleting his part on the gift for Xiaolin. Although he hired the jeweller for it, he was simply to carve out the gems, Gale was there to give it nature, an ability.


    With his mastery over script diagrams, Gale made the perfect gift for her at the moment. Of course, he had to spend more out of his pocket and a lot of effort toplete that in a short time. Thankfully, he made it.


    He had to prepare the scripts all morning and then apply them, which was another wrestle with his low spirit energy, but he made it.


    Still, with everything, he couldn''t wait to see the look on her face when he gave it to her. The ne was still with the jeweller, who was giving it thest touch.


    Landing on thewn, Gale found no one around today, probably because everyone was busy preparing for the festival.


    Through the bond, Gale sensed Xiaolin''s presence and scurried in that direction, the room she was in. It was essentially her own room, as it was always left for her, even when she was away. Gale spent almost the entire night there yesterday, not doing anything suspicious, but narrating his story.


    "Xiaolin, are you prepared?" Gale called, sliding the door open. "I''ming in."


    "Master!" Xiaolin squeaked, turning to face her Master.


    She was half down with her preparation. Well, she had half the clothes on. As for preparation, she barely started.


    She had a full-sleeved white blouse on, embodied with intricate works with fluffy flower petals-like pieces on the sleeves. Her t belly was showing as her skin was glowing with an alluring sheen in the dimming light.


    She had a mismatching old gown on her lower body, which only took away from her charm, but before preparation, she looked breathtaking with all the clumsiness.


    "Is that the new cloth your elder sister made for you?"


    "Mm," Xiaolin hummed in agreement as her face reddened a bit.


    "I''ll wait outside, you prepare." Gale came out of the room and waited outside.


    It didn''t take much longer for Xiaolin to call, probably because her elder sister was busy pampering her child. Xiaolin needed a second eye to help her prepare.


    Gale slid back in to find Xiaolin had changed her gown to the newer one that matched well with her white blouse, still showing a part of her belly. She needed to put on another gown on top of that,pleting her wear. Her hair wasn''t prepared, either, still in a braid, glowing dimly.


    "Master, how do these look on me?" she asked, blushing like a tomato.


    Gale stared at her as he drew close. "Do a slow spin," he asked of her, standing before her.


    Xiaolin abided, rotating quietly as her white gown swayed along.


    "How is it?"


    Gale drew a breath. "You look like you''ll make all the youths in this town breathless," he praised.


    "I just want to make one person breathless," Xiaolin squeaked. The one she was talking about was obvious to both of them.


    After saying that, she was about to run away, as she couldn''t make eye contact with him anymore, but before she could even take a step, Gale caught her arm, pulling her closer to him. Gale gave her no freedom to run away this time.


    "Master! You''re bullying me."


    "I am?" Gale asked, eyeing her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Yes," Xiaolin protested.


    "Hmm," Gale hummed and lifted her chin to look at her crimson face. "I thought you liked my bullying, though I have only bullied you once."


    "Master!" Xiaolin pouted.


    Gale touched her shoulder, tucking the blouse nicely on her shoulder. His palm drew on her t belly, sending a shiver down her spine as goosebumps crawled upon her skin.


    Xiaolin stood there rigidly, a low whimper escaping her lips. Gale kept his touch on her stomach and moved to her back. He drew his other palm to unlock the locks on her braid and let her hair fall free on her shoulders.


    Gale brought out ab and drew little to no amount of Qi and used them to fixate her hair where he desired. Her mostly did it with his finger, moving around her, keeping his other palm on her belly.


    It took longer than he had assumed, but after being satisfied with what he''s done, Gale faced her. Xiaolin gazed at him, hot breath escaping her lips and nostrils. The bond between them amplifying most of their emotions. Their affection for each other.


    Gale drew closer, as unconsciously Xiaolin tiptoed to meet his lips. However, Gale evaded her lips to find her ears. Taking a little nip of her ear, Gale whispered into her ears:


    "Do you want me to bully you, Linlin?"


    "Master!"


    Xiaolin stared at him longingly, and Gale didn''t have to probe through the bond to know what she wanted. He gave her everything she wanted at this moment.


    Their lips met as Gale held her closer, pulling her into his embrace, and lifting her to meet his tall stature. His lips suck the sweet taste of her, tongue longing for more intimacy.


    Xiaolin''s breathing rose as her heart was filled with warmth and a desire for more. She whimpered, wrapping her arms around the sturdy figure. She wanted nothing else other than this hold in his grasp. She was ever protected here, ever cherish.


    Nobody could give her more than this.


    This was the only intimate rtionship between them since that night, she courageously came to his room. And Xiaolin clung to every moment of it.


    Then the door of the room slid open with the voice of her elder sister.


    "Linlin, sorry I''mte, I--" Wang Li closed the door immediately. She croaked from outside the door. "Sorry, I''lleter."


    Gale ended the kiss as both of them look at each other.


    "Master," Xiaolin said, her voiceing out as a long purr. She rested on his chest.


    "Yes," Gale said.


    "She saw us."


    "I guess we have to look for more private space," Gale said.


    "Um," Xiaolin didn''t deny, still star-struck with the kiss.


    "Maybe after we enjoy the festival?"

 Chapter 201 195 The Oracle (2)

    The dress Wang Li tailored for Gale was matching Xiaolins. The robe was white with gold embroidered work on the straps and cors, mostly in as Gale liked. The tailor listened to his preference and even took into ount his daily clothes.


    Well, even though Gale preferred tunics and liked to wear them most days, Wang Li made a rtively traditional robe for him, albeit an impoverished version giving it more of a southerner look with high cors and rtively narrower sleeves, which were not really aspects of traditional robes.


    With everything, he was looking quite dashing, enough to warrant girls flocking around him. Well, that was simply his thoughts alone. The girls might have other thoughts on their minds altogether.


    Gale waited in the inn hall as Wang Li was still helping Xiaolin prepare. Good lord, it had been about an hour since he left her and still they were preparing.


    Gale would be really disappointed if they couldn''t topple kingdoms after this long in make-up.


    Atst, they came out from the door on the rear of the counter. Two women in contrasting colours. Xiaolin draped another thin sleeveless white robe on top of what Gale had already seen her in. Her hair wasid just about the same as Gale helped her with, now hiding more of her skin as she had to go outside.


    Xiaolin had a faint flush on her face even though she was only looking at her feet, too shy to meet his gaze. In addition to a Sunstone ne, matching her golden hair, there was a bracelet that she probably borrowed from her elder sister, she had no other ornaments. Not that she needed them to look otherworldly.


    The mature figure walking side by side with her was a different story altogether. In contrast to Xiaolin''s fluffy, loose white gown with gold embroidered in it, Wang Li draped a ck traditional robe with crimson silk works embodied on the edges and backside, hugging her alluring shape tightly, outlining her mature curves.


    Wang Li wasn''t shy in contrast. Well, for what reason she had to be shy, as it wasn''t like she was dying to let someone see how her dress was looking on her? She was in her usual, albeit a little duller, but that changed when she found the foreigner waiting for them with a starstruck look on his face.


    She smiled scheming and pushed Xiaolin at him,ing in front of him.


    "Here Master Gale," Wang Li said, smiling brightly, "I''m delivering your fairy for your safekeeping. Go into the festival with prudence as everyone will be dying for the fairy in your arm."


    "Elder sister!" Xiaolin squeaked as Wang Li simply pushed her to Gale.


    Xiaolin fell on Gale''s chest, as her master''s arm slid past her waist to hold her in ce. Xiaolin lifted her face to sneak a nce in his direction, only to find he was looking at her with a smile.


    "The clothes look angelic on you," Gale said. "Have you thanked your elder sister for it yet?"


    "Don''t worry," Wang Li said, "she had thanked me and hugged me enough to disy her gratitude."


    Gale lifted an eyebrow. "I guess only I left to show my gratitude for my clothes," he said.


    Gale bowed his head in thanks as Wang Li followed, thanking him as well.


    "The clothes look good on you," Gale said, which was an understatement because she was literally a bomb with her figure. "Are you going to the festival, right? Do you have someone-"


    "I have a date," Wang Li smiled softly.


    Gale lifted an eyebrow questioningly, while Xiaolin turned to face her elder sister, shooting suspicious nces.


    "I''ll go with Rong''er," Wang Li chuckled. So basically, she nned to babysit her son during the festive event.


    Her little boy was already quiet and tranquil, to begin with, but after his father separated from her, he became even quieter, only bringing out some smile when she yed with him, or he yed around with Vale.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Of course, Rong''er wasn''t even three and couldn''t understand many things between adults.


    "I''ll probablye back within half an hour as Rong''er doesn''t like noises," Wang Li said offhandedly, looking around as if to find something to do. "You guys go enjoy and take as much of your time."


    Wang Li found one of the workers sniffing around in their direction, a te of food in her hand. She went after her immediately, leaving the two of them standing.


    Xiaolin threw a worried look as she left.


    "Don''t worry about her," Gale said, as he had nothing else to tell, "she''ll be fine."


    ''Like I am.'' He didn''t add thest part.


    "Shall we go out then?" Gale asked, locking his arm with Xiaolin, making sure he was following Wang Li''s word. He would have to look after her prudently tonight.


    Getting her nod, they left the inn and embarked on the spirit of festivity. The Wang''s Inn was in the corner of the marketce in a rtively peaceful ce, but not today.


    People of all ages, from the smiling eight years old to the eight years old who were missing a few teeth, moured on the path in the high spirit of the festival. Sweet shops, fast food stalls, and clothes stores, all of them, were filled with overly enthusiastic customers, as the owners of the shops were having the time of their life, enabling to deal with all the customers in time.


    "So Linlin," Gale said, cing her on the rtively safe side of the road. "You have seen this festival many times. Is there anything, in particr, you wanted to do?"


    Xiaolin looked at him, biting her lips, as if she couldn''t find what she really enjoyed about the festival.


    "My father used to take me to the festival," she said as they crept down the road to the centre of the festival. "I didn''t really have many requests of him, but he always bought stuff for me, depending on my age. Well, he wasn''t really good at it, considering he still bought dolls for me thest time we were here."


    Xiaolin''s mood turned sour as she mentioned the past.


    Noticing the look in her eyes, Gale tried to change the topic to the festivity. "Well, there should be many things in the festivals for us to do. Hmm, how about the food? Should we check on every--"


    "No," Xiaolin instantly declined his offer. "Master, I''m already full with everything you bought in the noon. Please, no more."


    Gale frowned. It would really be problematic to spend many hours at the festivals if they couldn''t spend time buying food and eating them, as foods were probably the main attraction of the festival. As for the other stuff, Gale already purchased a lot of things for the new house.


    Still, he could look for a few items he forgot. That only left the main event of the festival, which was his gift to Xiaolin.


    "Hmm," Gale considered other options, scanning his surroundings with his Qi sense to look for something interesting to do at this festival. Sadly, there was no rollercoaster or other ride for him to take her. There was a y ongoing, as well as the circus.


    "Circus," Gale muttered.


    "Circus?" Xiaolin lifted an eyebrow.


    "Yes," Gale said. "Let''s go check it out."

 Chapter 202 196 The Oracle (3)

    "Circus," Gale muttered, remembering the blind girl he helped the other day. She even gave him a free ticket to watch their show. Gale had put it inside the pocket of his tunic instead of his void lock, in case he forgot about it. Sadly, he indeed forgot about it when he changed his clothes.


    And they say practitioners were brilliance of mind. The statement was noted more so for scribers.


    Gale was both, and the statement couldn''t be more wrong about him.


    "Circus?" Xiaolin lifted an eyebrow.


    "Yes," Gale said. "Let''s go check it out."


    Gale felt some weight lifted off his shoulder as Xiaolin agreed to go to the circus in good spirits. She had no problem with the circus as long as Gale was with him.


    The ticket was dirt cheap to him, anyway. He was feeling bad because he forgot someone''s goodwill.


    Reaching the circus, they found the show had already started, and only the VIP tickets were remaining as the circus crew was quite famous around there.


    "Give us two VIP tickets then," Gale said to the man in their reception.


    Silence.


    The guy was lost, ogling at Xiaolin and hearing nothing of what Gale said. Gale had to tuck him on the shoulder to gain a response.


    "Yes, what!?" The man was embarrassed, showing through his face.


    "VIP tickets," Gale repeated, "for two."


    "Ah, yes." the guy fumbled with the papers for a second. "That would be eighty iron marks."


    "So expensive," Xiaolin muttered, causing the receptionist to cock his head at her.


    He wouldn''t mind lowering the price for her, but Gale clicked his tongue and tossed a silver coin to the man.


    "Keep the change."


    Gale led Xiaolin into the show, searching for their seats with his Qi sense. It wasn''t that hard, even though he wasn''t putting in that much effort. The seats were merely VIP in the name. The only feature it had was that it was at the forefront of the audience. Most of them were empty as people would rather enjoy the show, just paying a lot less and seating only a little further.


    Gale found more people ogling at his partner. He couldn''t help but shot a look in their direction, which somehow made all of them restrained as they refrained from looking anymore. At least, not tantly as they were doing before.


    Currently, there was a brilliant sword dance going on, with one male and another female dancing in full spirit. They used ming swords for showmanship. The man was bare-chested while the woman was in readily eye-catching dresses, glittering with the hundreds of light constructs on the stage.


    "Their movements are so. . ." Xiaolin said, lost for words after she barely watched a few moves. Gale reminded her to sit, and she did with her eyes fixed on the couple dancing on the stage. "This is just brilliance, so delicate and. . ."


    Gale was happy with her enjoyment in the show, but immediately his attention was caught by another couple that moved in for the VIP seats.


    A frown appeared on Gale''s brows as his eyes met the youths.


    "You!" Han Xiao grunted, eyes ring with hate and indignation. His change in demeanour called for the attention of his partner, who was none other than Luo Qing''e.


    The mayor''s daughter picked her eyebrows, finding Gale in front of them. Luo Qing''e looked fabulous as always, but she looked ufortable with her cousin being her date.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Xiaolin clutched his palm, noticing the arrival of trouble.


    "Why can''t you l--" Han Xiao tried to bber something, but Gale cut him off readily.


    "Not a word," Gale said. "I''m not here to argue with you."


    Han Xiao narrowed his eyes at him first and gave Xiaolin a look. He snorted and was about to argue, but Luo Qing''e dragged him off to take free seats avable far away from them.


    "You enjoy the show," Gale told Xiaolin, serving his shoulder for her to rest her head. "No need to bother yourself with that moron."


    However, it was only easier to say it, as they found Han Xiao gawking at them intensely with his hateful eyes. He was tantly provoking them, and even the sensible cousin he had with him was unable to stop him.


    He probably took their demeanour of sticking closer together as a provocation since Han Xiao spend a good amount of his time wooing Xiaolin.


    As if to provoke the young master even more, Gale wrapped his left arm around Xiaolin, tantly disying that Han Xiao had no chance to begin with.


    Xiaolin was simply happy, snuggling in closer in the dim light.


    The show went on. All of them were simrly entertaining, but none of them could invoke the same feeling Xiaolin had to see the sword dance.


    Gale had been keeping tabs on the performing, waiting to see what the blind girl he met yesterday would do. He had his guesses, but he couldn''t find her in any of the performances to confirm.


    Reaching half-time, Gale found Xiaolin getting ufortable, getting all the gazes. Even Gale''s res weren''t enough to stop them from sneaking nces at her.


    "Should we check out other things?" Gale asked.


    "Um," Xiaolin nodded.


    Gale threw a lot of looks in the direction of Han Xiao and Luo Qing''e before leaving. The girl was putting her best effort into enjoying the show, but she had to check on the moron she was with every now and then.


    "Such a bother for her," Galemented as he led Xiaolin out of the tents, "babysitting that moron, even during the festival."


    Even though Gale''s voice was equal to a mutter within the mouring crowds, Han Xiao heard him with his enhanced senses, as he was keeping tabs on them from the beginning.


    Gale didn''t bother whatever the ck sheep felt about hisment, simply led Xiaolin out as fresh air hit both of them.


    "What now?" Gale asked.


    "The y?" Xiaolin said.


    Gale was ready to listen to her every demand, but just both of their attention moved towards a lone figure next to the tent, practising for her performance.


    She was catching knives out of thin air as another person helped her with throwing the knives at her.


    She wasn''t that good at it though. With the ck clothes strapped to her eyes, she was barely able to catch half of the knives thrown at her. Not to mention she was blind to begin with.


    "Ai?"

 Chapter 203 197 The Oracle (4)

    "Ai?" Gale called, as a frown crawled up on his brow, recognizing the girl.


    With her disy of catching knives, he had a hard time putting her together with the clumsy girl he helped yesterday.


    The girl of yesterday would have missed all the knives as far as he was concerned, and probably would have injured herself through it.


    However, her next reaction led him to amend his opinion he first held of her.


    His call drew the girl out of her concentration, and the next moment, the knife hit her chest. Thankfully, these were showmen''s knives, although carved out of metal. They couldn''t harm a girl with an iron body. Still, she fell to the ground, providing her clumsiness.


    But Xiaolin didn''t have enoughmon sense about the spirit arts to know about the resilience of a true iron body. She came to rescue the blind girl.


    "Are you okay?" Xiaolin asked in a concerned voice, quickly rushing towards the girl to help her.


    Ai''s face was a little pale, definitely not from any injury, but it could be from overusing her abilities and Qi. She nodded as she put her hand on her chest.


    "I''m fine," she said, brushing off their worries. "I guess you''re Sir Gale''s disciple. Nice to meet you, I''m Ai. I think we''re going to be good friends in the future."


    Xiaolin lifted her eyebrows, unsure about many things. She nced towards Gale to find he was looking at the blind girl with interest as well. She guessed the blind girl knew her master from before somewhere.


    Anyway, since it was bad manners to not introduce her back to someone who conversed with her so cordially, Xiaolin returned to the girl. "I''m Xiaolin, as you mentioned I''m master''s disciple. How do you know that? Do you know him previously?"


    The blind girl shook her head and removed the blindfold from her eyes as it didn''t make any difference just for the show. She somehow managed to turn exactly towards the other woman who was training her so far.


    "Thank you for your help, Sister Len," she said, "but I fear I won''t be able to perform within a week or two."


    Len, the circus master, narrowed her eyes at the new addition to her crew and sighed. "My performance ising up. I''ll leave you with them, as you clearly seem to have much left to speak with them. If you need anything, yell at any of the crew members."


    With that, the circus master departed. Ai''s shoulders sagged the very next moment, as if she was holding it in tirelessly for sometime. She almost fell to the ground, but Xiaolin, to the rescue, caught her before she could drop to the ground again.


    "I''m sorry," Ai apologised. "Thank you."


    "Something is very wrong with your abilities," Gale said, noticing something peculiar that he couldn''t understand fairly.


    "It''s not wrong," Ai said. Xiaolin kept her standing. "I''m just bad at bncing out my spirit arts."


    "You seemed quite skilled with the knives, though," Xiaolin said, a hint of admiration in her voice, also unsure of what kind of bnce they were talking about.


    "My skills aren''t even rted to knives," the girl smiled. "I guess that''s why it made me so clumsy." ?


    "I''m not sure if I can follow," Xiaolin said hesitantly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "How do I exin this?" Ai hummed, considering simpler words to exin her abilities. "I guess you can say my abilities can make me extremely lucky at times."


    Xiaolin lifted an eyebrow, notpletely understanding.


    "I can peek a little into the future as well," Ai continued. "It''s mostly irreverent stuff I get, though I can force it to drift in a certain direction. That''s how I know your identity. That was how I was catching the knives, but still not that good enough."


    "An Oracle," Xiaolin blurted, skidding up a little in surprise and excitement.


    "Hardly." Ai gave a helpless smile. "I was barely an apprentice."


    But Xiaolin wasn''t listening to her at all. She was filled with her youthful glee, learning she was before an oracle.


    "So what can you do?" Xiaolin''s question came in unrelenting motions of her lips and tongues, but somehow she managed to keep her voice coherent. "Can you do divination? Well, you can already tell the future. How far can you see? Oh, can you bless anyone with luck or curse anyone with misfortune? How manynguages can you speak? Is it true that oracles knows all thenguages of the world? Oh! Can you look into someone''s past?"


    "Linlin, take a breath," Gale said, smiling. "You''re bothering her with too many questions."


    "But Master, she''s an oracle," Xiaolin said, still excited. "How can I calm down after learning that?"


    Ai gave a helpless shrug. "As I mentioned, I was merely an apprentice," she said, "don''t mock this poor girl too much."


    "Was?" Gale arched an eyebrow. "Are you looking for a job change?"


    Well, she was already in a circus. What else could make it more oblivious? The blind girl shook her head in resignation.


    "Sadly, not everyone is good at different jobs like you, Sir Gale," she said as Xiaolin helped her sit. "I''m barely a day in the crew and already questioning my purpose here. Maybe I should look for another room. . ." Ai turned her head to find Gale. "You have a job slot open, right? Sir Gale?"


    "You mean?" Gale tired just to be sure.


    "Master, she already knew about the maid you''re searching for." Xiaolin whistled through her teeth.


    Gale had been wrong about the blind girl he helped yesterday. She certainly was much more capable than a simple oracle apprentice.


    Oh, Gale had met with Oracle, who was the real deal, though he couldn''t say any good words about his meeting with her. She simply acted mysteriously and threw a bunch of rhetoric to confuse him.


    But Ai seemed much more direct. Of course, she still had much more to learn, much more left to cultivate the mysterious aura.


    ____


    Sorry about the dy, more chapters areing today.

 Chapter 204 198 The Oracle (5)

    Gale considered the advantages of keeping a half-baked oracle as a housekeeper. Certainly, she could give omens of all the bad stuff that could happen to them. Of course, they couldn''t be absolutely perfect, or not nearly, but they would solve most of his problems for sure.


    Gale had already interviewed the handfuls of candidates Wang Li looked for him, but as he had feared, most of them were gold-diggers, or not nearly qualified enough. They simply wanted to get the post for one benefit or another without a base of skills to provide with.


    Of course, the set of skills Gale was looking for were high, and this was merely a growing rural town.


    Now Gale was seriously considering taking Ai as the housekeeper, although he feared Ai merely mentioned it as a joke.


    "Sadly, my disability won''t let me be sessful all the time at anything," Ai said, smiling ruefully. "But you need not worry. You''ll find a perfect maid very soon. She''ll be a hundred times better housekeeper than anyone else."


    "Who are you talking about?" Gale couldn''t help but ask, narrowing his eyes.


    Ai didn''t answer immediately. A cute frown crawled up in her brows, as if she was divining for an answer. She turned her head to face Xiaolin. "You have already met her, haven''t you?"


    "I have?" Xiaolin lifted an eyebrow. "Her? Who?"


    Xiaolin considered all the female practitioners she had met in thest few days. There were not really many candidates and most of them her master was familiar with already.


    There was only Fang Chen¡ªthe porcin doll, and Sun Lian of the great sun n, who harassed the doll girl with her confession in broad daylight.  Obviously, she couldn''t see someone from the great sun n working as a maid. Not to mention, Xiaolin wouldn''t want to bemanded around by that tomboy.


    "That only left Fang Chen," Xiaolin concluded, as delight spread across her face. The doll was even more reserved than her; there was a fat chance she would grow in a short time to leash her around.


    "Who?" Gale asked, confused.


    "Fang Chen," Xiaolin repeated. "You haven''t met her, but master, she is absolutely best for the job. Obviously, I would not have anyone if it were me, but if you have to take anymore, then it must absolutely be her, master."


    Gale was a little taken aback by her intensity on the topic.


    "Uhh, alright, I''ll look into it," Gale said slowly, not sure what to make of her sudden enthusiasm.


    "Sir Gale," Ai addressed him from her seat. "A friendly piece of advice. You must absolutely keep the housekeeper close because she was going to save your life someday."


    Gale frowned, unsure about the aspect of the divination.


    "What do you mean by that?" Xiaolin asked, her excitement iming down after hearing the oracle. "Fang Chen is barely a copper ranker. How can she save master, who''s high gold?"


    Ai shrugged as she didn''t have an exnation for it.?


    "I''ll look into it," Gale said, promising nothing. "Anyway, Miss Oracle, do you have any other advice to give us?"


    Ai narrowed her lightless eyes. "Not to you, I suppose," Ai said. "It was really hard to divine something from higher-ranked individuals. But I guess I can give useful advice to your partner."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Xiaolin blushed, hearing the word partner. "What is it?"


    Ai shook her head. "We must speak of it in private. Draw your ears near me."


    Xiaolin did, under her master''s gaze as the oracle apprentice whispered something into her ears. Gale couldn''t hear anything, not that he tried. Ai was using her Qi to camouge the voice. Not that it could stop him if he tried, but since it was a talk between two women, he decided to leave them with their privacy.


    Although he certainly got curious, finding Xiaolin getting sombre after Ai was done with her whispering.


    "You''re joking, right?" Xiaolin asked, her voice shaking.


    Ai chose to say nothing.


    "How can you expect me to believe and act ording to that?" Xiaolin red at the blind girl, her brows knit in distress.


    "Linlin, what happened?" Gale asked, touching her shoulder to support her.


    "Master, she. . ." Xiaolin''s voice trailed off as she refrained from saying a word.


    "I guess I can help you get more context," Ai said with a sigh, "but not today. I''m ying it dangerously already, don''t want to die in some unfortunate event."


    Ai''s ability to predict the future seemed to be somewhat rted to her own luck. If she used divination too much, misfortune got hold of her. It starts with some simple clumsiness to even some life-threatening idents.


    "That is it," Ai said. "The poor girl has nothing more to share. I hope you act ording to my divination, especially you, Sir Gale. Don''t tempt Fate, Al''Caizer, you''re already running low on it."


    Gale narrowed his eyes at her, as one of the crew members came to take the blind girl away.


    "Now, I must take my leave, Xiaolin, Sir Gale," Ai said, bowing her head politely. "I know I''ll meet you guyster, so it''s goodbye until then."


    Certainly, this girl had more depth than what she was showing outside, even when she wasn''t as mysterious and enigmatic as the older oracle he met a few months back.


    "Caizer?" Xiaolin repeated, hesitation brewing on her face. "Isn''t that one of your titles, Master?"


    "It is," Gale said, "but don''t worry too much about it. Oracles can''t see everything, or else they would already be ruling the world. There were thousands upon thousands of weaves in one person''s destiny, and when more people got together, the strings of fate became iprehensiblyplex to divine.


    "Whatever she divine might not even be a full string of destiny. The lesson to take from here is to work to make the destiny you want, not the one heaven throws at you."


    "But she told me, not to fight it," Xiaolin muttered.


    "Whatever she said should be less of your priority," Gale advised. "Your first priority should always be what you want."

 Chapter 205 199 The Gift (1)

    [Bonus Chapter: 3/5]


    Xiaolin was rtively quieter after whatever Ai whispered into her ears. She had asked a bunch of questions regarding oracles, like the chances of their divinationing true, and what exactly they see.


    Of course, only an oracle has the exact urate answers to these questions, but Gale entertained her as much as he could with his limited knowledge.


    In the end, he couldn''t satisfy her quench of knowledge. She was mostly quiet during the y, contemting whatever divination the blind girl gave her.


    Gale couldn''t leave her in a duller mood for longer on such an asion as this festival, so he brought her out of the y, moving towards the main event that he was preparing for yesterday.


    Gale led her through the path, among the watchful gazes of the crowd. In contemtion, Xiaolin forgot about even asking where Gale was taking her.


    Xiaolin only came to her senses when they were before the jewellery shop. The stalls around there were mostly for ornaments, with countless pearls and gems ornaments on disy, as well as raw stones to carve ornaments out of.


    Gale still felt off seeing most of the expensivemodities of earth on disy, like some cheap fast food.


    "Master?" Xiaolin asked. She was so taken by the countless gems of the shop that she had to take a moment to remember what she wanted to ask. "Why did you take me here?"


    Even though she asked the question, her heart was brimming with anticipation as she could guess the answer already. Whatever the oracle apprentice said to her went in the back of her mind as her eyes scanned the beautiful stones on disy.


    "Of course, it is to gift you something that can match you," Gale said. "Check out anything you''d like."


    With that, Gale gestured to the Oldman in the shop, who was clearly eying at him. Upon getting his call, the old jeweller immediately brought a small treasured box out of his robes and handed it to Gale secretly. He didn''t forget to give a soft chap on his shoulder for good luck.


    Xiaolin''s eyes scoured through all the beautiful jets and pearls in the shop, unable to decide which one she liked the most.


    "Master, this is so difficult," Xiaolin said. "You chose for me."


    "Well," Gale said, showing her the treasured ornament box. "I already did."


    "For me?" Xiaolin asked, discovering the gold-embroidered treasured box.


    "Who else other than you?" Gale held his palm towards her as she drew closer. "Go on, open it."


    Xiaolin took the box in high spirit, and opened it slowly, her eyes fixated on the opening of the small box. Inside she found a gold ne with half a dozen sunstone-like gems embellished to it.


    Unwittingly, she touched the ne and sniffed it. She could smell a rich aura of spirituality from them. Although the ne her elder sister let her borrow was beautiful, it was merely a ne with no particr spiritual property, but this one was different.


    "These gems are Luminous Sunstones," said Gale. "They have been treasured by different cultures for centuries. They are said to have healing properties and bring luck and protection to whoever wears them. However, I scripted them with my finer works to give them another feature."


    "What is it?" Xiaolin asked, drawing her eyes off the beautiful gems.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This is basically a Silver grade artifact," Gale told her, "especially made to rectify the issue of your Qi deficiency. In simpler words, you can store up your Qi into those six sunstones for future use with no particr side effects."


    "But master, wouldn''t I have to be a Silver ranker to use this?" Xiaolin said, even though her heart was blossoming in delight at his gift.


    "No," Gale said, "I made it keeping your rank in mind, so you won''t have trouble using its features. Do you like it?"


    "I love it," Xiaolin said, hugging him, forgetting that she was still in public. Xiaolin blushed, remembering the fact as she ended the hug.


    "Then let me help you wear it,'' Gale said and took the ne from her.


    Xiaolin weed him, lifting her head. Gale smiled and unclipped the sp of the ne she was already wearing.


    "Master, do it slowly, it--" Before Xiaolin could finish, the borrowed ne fell to the ground, its sp broken.


    "Oops," Gale grunted, and used his wind power to spring it back up in his fingers.


    "The sp was barely holding it in," Xiaolin said. "Elder sister warned me to take care of it."


    "Don''t worry, I can fix it easily," Gale said. He won''t have to give it to the jewellers to repair. Gale stored the old ne in his void lock and focused on putting the new one onto her neck.


    "You have to use some of your Qi to bond the item," Gale said, "but I guess we can leave that forter."


    He shifted her hair to one side, standing behind her. Xiaolin stood there, blushing as Gale put the embellished gems on her chest first, and tied the sp of the other two ends behind her neck.


    Done with that, Gale came before her, inspecting. "Hmm, I fell short," he muttered, "this ne hardly can match your beauty."


    "I absolutely love this gift, Master," Xiaolin squeaked in delight, even though she couldn''t, she herself wearing the ne.


    Then her mood went sourer, not remembering the words of the oracle, but about her situation. She had nothing to gift to her master.


    "Don''t think too much," Gale told her, brushing his lips on her neck slightly. "You have already given yourself to me, even with my countless faults. You need not give anything more."


    Xiaolin blushed red like a tomato, though she wasn''t satisfied with not giving anything. She guessed she had to rack her brain out to find something she could give her master that would delight him to no end.


    "Of course, you can give me something lucrative soon if you will it," Gale whispered into her ears. "Remember the night you came to my room? We can further the dicipling, if you desired it."


    Xiaolin breathed hot air. Her nostrils red with desire, even though she knew her master wouldn''t take her innocence. Not when she couldn''tpletely ept him.


    However, there were still plenty of things for her to learn.

 Chapter 206 200 The Gift (2)

    Wang Li was pleased to see her son having fun at the festival. He was riding a horse of his size, with Vale riding along with him in glee.


    Rong''er would have been equally delighted to ride Vale, but this was gleeful to him as well.


    Wang Li kept her distance closer to her kid, her whole concentration on him. There was another person with her today other than Vale. The porcin doll, the inept girl Fang Chen, whom they found getting harassed by the daughter of the Sun n in the street.


    After she took her to the inn, the doll girl simply decided to lodge to spend her time in. She didn''t seem to be with anyone and wasn''t that enthusiastic about the festival, either.


    Fang Chen had been meditating on the open veranda when Wang Li decided to take her son to the festival. She thought she could take her with her as well, as the girl wasn''tpetent enough to take care of herself alone.


    Well, Fang Chen waspetent enough in spirit arts, already copper rank, at a young age. Moreover, she gave a different vibe through her spiritual aura, rich and concentrated, like that of Gale.


    Wang Li guessed that it was the result of some rare spirit arts. She was curious, but not to the point that she would go out of her way to ask.


    She simply offered to take her to the fair. Turned out her convincing words were enough, or the girl simply couldn''t say no if someone pushed her a little too much.


    Well, if it was thetter, Fang Chen was going to have a very difficult future. Considering herplexion, countless men would ask for the same things countless times.


    Wang Li wasn''t sure how many times the doll could decline with herplexity inmunication. Well, she couldn''t even re at the men who were ogling at her. Then again, her white gemlike eyes would be too mesmerising even when she res.


    "So you haven''t told me anything about yourself?" Wang Li tried to make a small conversation, as the doll was standing idly the whole time. "Where are you from?"


    "Wahran providence," Fang Chen answered in her low voice.


    "Did youe to our town for something specific?"


    The doll nodded as if controlled by invisible strings. "Unresolved work," she said. After a little consideration, she added, "I have a lot of time toplete them."


    "Hmm," Wang Li pondered. "What kind of work? You don''t have to answer if you aren''tfortable with it."


    "It depends," Fang Chen said. "Thest contract I have is for looking up some specific information. The previous works before that were simply taking care of young practitioners."


    "Taking care as in. . ." Wang Li whistled, indicating murder.


    "No, simply looking after them, though I have to fight a few times."


    "Is the pay good?" Wang Li asked, considering. Getting more words out of the doll''s mouth than she imagined she would be able to, she continued on.


    "Myst two employers are good," Fang Chen said, considering, "they paid good spirit marks, though I spent all of it as well as indebted to my friend for my breakthrough."


    "Tell me about it," Wang Li said, brushing the white scarf around her neck. "I''m in debt too and will be for years. Cultivating spirit arts is damn expensive."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Fang Chen nodded in agreement.


    "Yet some people are loaded out of our imagination," Wang Li continued. "Oh, that reminded me, if you want to grab some spirit marks to help yourself, I may happen to have a job for you."


    "In the inn?" Fang Chen asked, lifting her eyebrows.


    "Something simr," Wang Li smiled, "but perks are something you can''t imagine. It is basically the housekeeping job for a gold master practitioner, also some assist in training his disciple. Oh, you met his disciple already. Xiaolin, that golden-haired girl from before. She''s still low rank, so you can easily help her practice."


    Fang Chen''s eyes blinked as she heard that, her mind calcting the perks of the offer.


    "Ignoring the spirit marks¡ªwhich I can assure you will be many folds better than your usual jobs¡ªyou can even ask for advice in spirit arts from an actual master. Of course, you have to bepetent in housekeeping and spirit arts to get the job."


    "I''m not good at cooking," Fang Chen said, flushing. "I can help train spirit arts, but don''t know if any good at it, though."


    "Hmm," Wang Li considered. "I guess you have to be interviewed by the master practitioner first. I don''t think cooking is going to be an issue, as he had a knack for it. If you want, I can arrange that by tomorrow."


    Fang Chen clearly looked torn between epting and indecision. Wang Li guessed she had other important jobs left to take care of, but lucrative deals like advice from master practitioners were enough to shake most low-level practitioners.


    "Well, you can take your time to decide," Wang Li said. "The way Master Gale is rejecting, I fear he won''t get anyonepetent enough in months."


    Wang Li already delivered a dozenpetent workers who were good at housekeeping and also at copper rank. Unfortunately, none of their spirit arts meet his criteria.


    He was pretty confident that Xiaolin would be able to defeat them all together, so there was no point taking ipetent practitioners as they wouldn''t be helping Xiaolin in any way.


    They spent a few more minutes in the fair, as Rong''er was getting ufortable with all the noises pretty soon. Fang Chen wasn''t extroverted either, so they decided to hit the road back to the inn.


    There was nock of men gawking at them. On the cover of the night, they were tantly ogling at her marvellous body; it was outlined even more so in the dress.


    "Would you look at that?" someone said in the back. "Those racks are of high standards."


    "I like the innocent-looking girl more."


    "Oh bother, you''re absolutely right about that."


    "Since when has our town had girls like that?"


    Wang Li stopped on her walk and turned, glowering at the people on the road. "You worthless morons, since when did our town had, so many lechers like the lots of you?"

 Chapter 207 201 The Gift (3)

    "You worthless morons, since when did our town have, so many lechers like the lots of you?"


    The men around the road all wentpletely silent as they exchanged nces with one another.


    "Fuck, it is Sister Wang Li," said the first voice that praised her racks, "why didn''t you tell me before?"


    "I . . ." The other person stuttered, clearly lost for words.


    "Run, grandma willsh us to death if she learns about this."


    Within a couple of seconds, all the youths departed, leaving a dumbstruck Fang Chen, who looked at Wang Li in a new light.


    Most of the youths who were gawking at them were copper rankers, the same as them; yet Wang Li controlled the situation so easily without even using a bit of her power.


    That was exactly what Fang Chen wanted to learn. Spirit arts? She was better at it than her.


    "It is easier with younger people," Wang Li smiled at her. "Let''s go."


    By the time Wang Li reached the inn, Rong''er was half asleep, snuggling into her chest. Vale was sniffing around Fang Chen, easily making her ufortable, even though the hound was just adorable to look at.


    The big furry boy turned his head towards the other way, as if noticing something before them. Wang Li wondered if Gale and Xiaolin had already had their date, but no, it merely had been an hour since they left. Even Xiaolin''s makeup took more time than that. Surely, the master practitioner would know better to spend a good time with her at this festival.


    "Come on," said a girl in a high-pitched tone, "I''m already an adult. You cannot treat me like this."


    "You should have acted more like an adult for me to treat you as one," another voice said, a familiar one as he dragged the woman with him. From their silhouettes, it seemed he was dragging her by the ear.


    "But it is my dao," the girlined.


    "What? Doing whatever you want?"


    "Isn''t that why everyone practices spirit arts?" the girlined.


    "I''m not having this conversation again," the youth said. "This is exactly why I didn''t ask for your presence here."


    "I''ll tell Aunt."


    "Say whatever you want to tell Aunt, but no more drama on the street."


    "Sun Ziang?" Wang Li asked, finally recognising the unique features of the Sun n in the dark.


    "Oh, cousin Wang Li, you finished your trip to the festival already," Sun Ziang said, still dragging the other person by the ear. He only relented when they came face to face.


    Sun Lian, the tom girl, rubbed her ear, which had turned red, and gawked at the two women before her.


    "Damn," she swore, "what is this vige? It''s filled with all kinds of beauty. The type you''d wanted to protect, the provokingly bombshell, the innocent type, the morous type, and this. Ziang, why did Great Grandmother send you here, really?"


    Sun Ziang simply hit her on the head, but the girl dodged toe before the doll.


    "Oh, we meet again," Sun Lian said, raising her palm high. "Fang Chen, right? I hope you change your mind about me."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Sun Ziang groaned from behind. "Was this the girl you harassed on the street?"


    Sun Lian turned and shot Sun Ziang an using look. "How could you? How could you term the confession of my pure heart as harassment?"


    This time Sun Ziang didn''t miss his mark on this asion, he took a hold of the girl by the ear again and pulled.


    "You should start with the apology now," he told her.


    Sun Lian grunted. "Never," she said, her voice true and clear. "I haven''t done a crime confessing to a girl. I won''t apologise."


    "You haven''t done any crime confessing to a girl," Sun Ziang agreed. "But you sure made a spectacle of it, denouncing a fair girl''s character. Now apologise."


    Sun Lian lifted her head to look at the porcin doll carefully, who was clearly ufortable during the entire exchange. She relented.


    "I guess I overreacted with the rejection," Sun Lian said. "I apologise for my behaviour. I wished we could have done that in a rtively peaceful ce. Hey, would your answer be different if I confessed in a quiet ce?"


    Sun Ziang shook his head. There was no point in giving this girl a lesson, as she would always revert to her usual self.


    "I think you chose the wrong candidate for it," Wang Li answered for Fang Chen. "She''spletely straight, are you not, Chenchen?"


    Fang Chen nodded her head like a woodpecker, eager to escape the weird girl.


    "Everyone is straight until they taste something different," Sun Lian said with a grin on her lips, which led Sun Ziang to pull her ears even more.


    "No more vulgarities, if you''d like to stay here," Sun Ziang said in hismanding tone. "Is that clear?"


    "Gosh, you''re still so dull. Fine, fine, I''ll refrain. Now let go of my ear. It swells and people are watching."


    "Yes, we better take this under a roof," Wang Li agreed, directing them towards the inn.


    ***


    A couple of hours passed, and Wang was waiting at the counter for Xiaolin and Gale. In case someone else crashed in the middle of the night, she was prepared for it as well.


    In thest two hours, she hadpleted the various tasks she was left to do, which included taking charge of the workers who in retrospect cleaned up the inn and took care of every need of the guests. She rested a few minutes, cradling Rong''er to deep sleep, and came back to the counter again.


    Thesest few days had been exhausting, with spirit arts and everything in the inn.


    Wang Li''s shoulders were burning, her waist cranking with all the effort she put together. She was a bit sleepy, but she probably wouldn''t be able to if she didn''t have a bath first.


    But before that, she needed a drink. Wang Li was just searching around the counters to find the wine she brewed with her new abilities.


    But at that moment, a realization dawned on her, as she scurried to the open veranda, unwittingly carrying the bottle of wine.


    Most of the time, Gale never came through the front gate, butnded directly on thewn. And that was exactly what he did this time around as well.


    Getting there, she found Gale and Xiaolin snuggling together, exchanging sweet kisses.

 Chapter 208 202 Ambroshia (1)

    The kisspletely enamoured Xiaolin to notice her elder sistering in. She was literally on her master''sp, clutched to him and his lips, her heart filled with warmth and desire.


    Xiaolin yelped, feeling the warmth and something else growing under her. This wasn''t the first time she was feeling that thing, but it still startled her enormously. She ended the kiss with a start, lurching her head back to finally notice the figure standing beside the door.


    "Elder Sister!" Xiaolin hissed, lurching up from Gale''sp. Her upper robe was almost undone, as much of her skin was showing alongside the blouse.


    Wang Li''s eyes widened with a faint blush on her cheeks in contrast to Xiaolin''s tomato shade.


    "I''lle backter," the innkeeper said, and left, ignoring anything Xiaolin said.


    "Don''t go," Xiaolin said after her, "Elder Sister! This isn''t what you think. . ."


    She turned to her master, who simply raised an eyebrow, surprised that he didn''t notice Wang LIing in either.


    "Sorry," Gale apologised, "I guess I was too engrossed in the intimacy to notice her either."


    "Master!" Xiaolin squeaked, clutching her clothes. "She saw it. How am I going to meet her eyes, I. . ."


    "Slow down, Linlin," Gale said, standing up. "It wasn''t like she saw anything more than us kissing. Besides, you two bathed and slept in the same bed countless times to have this talk with me."


    "But. . ." Xiaolin''s voice came as a squeak, obvious shame in her tone. "She saw me doing those things, I. . ."


    Gale scoffed and caught her from behind. He kissed her bare shoulder, sending shivers through her spine as Xiaolin squeaked again in surprise.


    "Hmm," Gale whispered into her ears, "are you suggesting that you never had the adult talk with your elder sister so long you stayed with her?"


    "Master please,'' Xiaolin whined.


    "You know, your elder sister had put good words for you, not that youcked anything," Gale said, holding her close from behind, his warm manhood pressing against her back.


    "Master!" Xiaolin let out a hot breath, knowing exactly what stuck to her back. "Please, not now. I beg of you."


    Gale didn''t need to think for more to loosen his grip on her, understandingpletely that the more he went forward, the worse the situation would be for him. He had been unspent for months; he wasn''t sure how far he could go before he would gopletely berserk.


    Sadly, Xiaolin was still a maiden of heart and body. Although he educated her in kissing and intimacy, she still had much to learn. Not to mention, she was clearly ufortable after her elder sister saw them.


    Xiaolin sighed in relief after getting out of Gale''s clutches.


    "Fine," Gale croaked, distinguishing the burning desire in him. "Let''s go meet your elder sister."


    "Mmm," Xiaolin hummed and was about to leave, but halted, noticing something in him.


    "What is it?" Gale asked.


    "Master," Xiaolin intoned, "I''m really sorry."


    There was no doubt that Xiaolin was feeling ashamed, ashamed that she couldn''t continue further, ashamed that she couldn''t give her everything to her master.


    "It''s alright," Gale said.


    "Master," Xiaolin hissed, clinging to his arm with her both palms, "maybe we can continue thister?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale picked up his eyebrows. "Really? When?"


    Xiaolin thought for a moment to find the time and ce where the two of them could be alone.


    "I''ll stay awake and keep the door of my room open for you."


    Xiaolin didn''t even meet his gaze after she said that. She simply lurched out of there, rushing into the inn, clutching her robes.


    ***


    The hall of the inn was empty save for the decorated chairs, tables, lights, and the innkeeper who seemed to be having too many drinks on her own.


    Wang Li swallowed down all the contents of her ss in one go and noticed the Master disciple pair approaching. Xiaolin''s clothes were still ruffled, and so was her makeup. She could easily find signs of her make-up on Gale.


    Even if she hadn''t seen them on the veranda, it wouldn''t be too hard for her to understand what they were up to aftering back from the festival. She felt a grudge against them for keeping her awake and alone in the cold.


    Unconsciously, Wang Li glowered at the two of them, pouring another ss of drink. She drank, meeting their gazes, unaware she already had a little too much alcohol in her system.


    The master practitioner waspletely unfazed, but the same couldn''t be said about his disciple. Xiaolin crept next to her with a blushing face and clutched her from the side.


    Wang Li wasn''t sure if she''d ever see this girl blushing this brightly. She really looked like an otherworldly fairy with all the charm and mour. Wang Li guessed love does make a difference.


    "Elder Sister," Xiaolin said, hugging her from the side.


    "Mmm," Wang Li hummed, making another drink for her. "Since you guys returned, why don''t you change and refresh yourself?"


    "In a minute," Gale said as he sat across from her in the front seat of the counters. He sniffed the drink she was brewing and took the ss from her.


    "Hey! That''s my ss."


    But the master practitioner didn''t seem to care of hear her.


    "Thank you," Gale said, and sniffed the drink once more. He took a sip, testing.


    Wang Li wasn''t sure if he drank knowingly that she had drunk directly from that ss, or not.


    "You brew this?" Gale asked, after assessing his first sip.


    "Yes," Wang Li said, narrowing her eyes, "and most of the other drink as well."


    "I mean, you brew this using your new fate lock abilities, right?"


    "Yes," Wang Li said, her eyes challenging him. "Don''t need to criticise me, I know it''s subpar, even counting as a copper-ranked spirit wine."


    She snorted, reaching for the almost empty bottle, but Xiaolin beat her to it. Xiaolin kept the bottle away from her as the innkeeper growled.


    ___________


    Sorry for the dy.

 Chapter 209 203 Ambrosia (2)

    "Give me back my drink," Wang Li growled at Xiaolin, "nobody will drink such a lowly drink."


    Gale clicked his tongue. "Never sell yourself too short," he advised. "This isn''t half bad, though too bitter and high on alcohol. You have to get the vour right to make big bucks out of it. Anyway, do you have anything richer?"


    Wang Li and Xiaolin both raised an eyebrow, looking at all the bottles decorated on the walls. Xiaolin wasn''t sure if her Elder sister was in any state to serve anyone else, as she would simply drink it herself if Xiaolin let her.


    "On second thought rest it," Gale said and brought out a bottle of his own from his void lock. It was another high-ranked bottled Spirit wine, the Ambrosia of this world.


    Arguably, the most addicting wine in this realm.


    Sadly, drinking even a sip of it would be a bad idea for Gale even if there weren''t any restrictions ced on him. Still, he had drunk a few more mouthfuls of Ambrosia when he was in extreme distress or pain. These days, he simply drank it to relieve the pain or to have a good night''s sleep.


    He had stolen half a dozen of that ambrosia, but now only left with half of them.


    Gale was now in distress, alright, although of apletely different kind. So, he only poured an inconsiderable amount of the Ambrosia into the ss, diluting it with the drink Wang Li brew.


    Evidently, he forgot that he was with other people in the hall.


    The sweet fragrance of the ambrosia enamoured the entire hall before Gale could close the cork back. Both women were taken aback, sniffing the addicting nectar in the air. His disciple more than the innkeeper with her intuitive senses.


    Their hearts were simply too weak for the most intoxicating spirit wine of the world.


    "Master, what is this?" Xiaolin asked, leaning her head closer to the counter to sniff more of the fragrance.


    "Ambrosia," Gale said. "Another kind of spirit wine, brewed by a sage."


    Wang Li whistled. "So, where''s my portion of it?"


    Xiaolin looked like she would want to have some of it as well, smitten by the smell.


    "I would have let you have some portion of it," Gale said, frowning, "but this is seriously not good for your health. Well, it might help your spirit arts somewhat, but I''m pretty sure even a few drops of it will leave you two low-rankers tipsy for days."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes and turned to Xiaolin. "Am I hearing this right, Linlin?" she joked. "Did your master just look down on us for our low rank in spirit arts?"


    Xiaolin nodded her head heavily. "Maybe he didn''t want to waste the expensive wine with us."


    "Definitely," Wang Li said. "Or why wouldn''t the great and kindly master Gale leave his dear disciple and his favourite innkeeper from drinking the Ambrows. . . Ambrow something?"


    "Okay," Gale said, taking in a sip under their gazes, "this really doesn''t feel like you guys are joking. Really, my dear disciple and my favourite innkeeper, I would have given you the drink if your body could handle it. But sadly, you guys are too limited to evenprehend its taste."


    Wang Li snorted. "That seemed like an excuse," she told him, smitten with the smell of ambrosia, even though she couldn''t pronounce it well. "How dare you give excuses after you took away my drink? I want refunds."


    "Master, I want it too," Xiaolin joined, even though she never had an alcoholic drink in her life. "My constitution is different. I can recover by tomorrow."


    "I highly doubt that," Gale said, "but you''re right about recovering quicker than normal practitioners."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Who are you calling normal practitioners?" Wang Li barked. Perhaps she already had a drink too many times. "Are you looking down on this poor woman again?"


    "No, absolutely not," Gale said, showing his hands in surrender, "this lowly practitioner wouldn''t dare."


    Wang Li snorted. "I''m not seeing even an ounce of honesty from you."


    "I guess you''ll only see it when I gave you the wine?"


    "Exactly," Wang Li said, pping the counter with her palm. "Give this poor woman her drink. She deserves it."


    "I guess you''re not wrong about that," Gale agreed. "Still . . ."


    He contemted it for some time. A part of him really didn''t want to waste the wine, as their bodies wouldn''t be able to taste or get most of the benefit of Ambrosia. Then again, they were low rangers. Even a little of its benefit might be a world for them.


    Gale wasn''t sure about what his Disciple would get out of this, but he was pretty sure it was enough to let Wang Li get the extra push she needed to reach the peak of copper.


    She had been doing her best to get back to spirit arts after how her life went down. He guessed this could be the push she needed to be a little more optimistic about the future.


    "Hmm, that would only benefit me in the future," Gale thought out loud, calcting in his head.


    Wang Li was indentured to work for his farm for the years toe, to help him grow rare nts with the fate lock he sold her with. Sadly, she wasn''t nearly high rank enough.


    The spirit wine would help, progressing her spirit arts for a couple of months easily.


    "Fine, fine," Gale said, "I''ll let you have a little of it. Give me two sses full of drinks."


    Both the women cheered out loud.


    "Calm down, you''ll wake up the guests," Gale reminded them. "Also, ease your breathing. This might be one heaven of an experience of you."


    "Hehe, you got the phrasing wrong," Wang Liughed, pointing her fingers at him.


    Gale shook his head and prepared the drinks.


    As he prepared two sses of normal wine, Gale concentrated to dilute them with only three drops of Ambrosia.


    "Cheapskate!"


    ____________


    Vote power stones to rank this book. I''ll try to give a few bonus chapters if we get into the top 100. If it''s top 50, then absolutely.


    Also, I have a couple of chapters left to publish.

 Chapter 210 204 Ambrosia (4)

    Gale frowned at the two women. He was sure he heard one of them swearing at him. But as he drew his eyes to them, all he found were two women eager to have the drink of their lives.


    "Is it ready?" Xiaolin asked.


    "It is ready after I prepare some medicine for you," Gale said as he brought out a few specific herbs from his void lock.


    "Medicine?" Wang Li snorted, reaching for the ss. "I don''t need no medicines."


    "Well, your behaviour suggests otherwise already," Gale said as he moved the sses away before she could grab any of them. "Besides, if you want more benefit from the drink, wait for a couple more minutes."


    Wang Li was about to snort again, but a burp came out of her mouth? instead. She was taken aback by the unexpected sound and Gale''sugh. Her face grew bright red, and she quickly turned away, embarrassed.


    "Fine, fine, make your medicine."


    Well, it wasn''t really anythingplicated. Gale crushed the herbs using his Qi quickly, one after another, and mixed them into a solution in the right proportion. The drink would simply help them to keep their minds awake for a time after they ingested the wine. Or else, she would simply get intoxicated and would feel unconscious at a point.


    "Okay, done," Gale said, handing them the medicinal drink first. "Drink this first, then you can have the ambrosia."


    Xiaolin''s nose wrinkled as she looked at the deep gray drink, which gave her a whole new bitter vibe even before she drank it. It reminded her full well of everything her master had her drink the time she was wounded.


    "Come on, drink up," Gale said. "I assure you this will be worth it."


    The older woman, who was clearly not in her right mind, took the medicinal drink and gulped it down in one swallow.


    "Gah!" She groaned immediately as the bitter taste ravaged her tongue. But it wasn''t without its results. Soon she felt her mind clearing out as her spirit became spontaneous.


    The intoxication cleared out of her head, but it wouldn''tst for long. She needed to give her brain time to rest and adjust.


    She didn''t wait for Xiaolin as she needed something to relieve the bitterness in her throat. She reached for the ss of diluted ambrosia, and this time Gale didn''t stop her.


    Wang Li grabbed the ss and drank the content in one gulp. With each sip, she could feel the power of the spirit wine coursing through their veins. The effects of the spirit wine were immediate and powerful.


    Spirit energy surged through her channels, overwhelming her as sweat beads formed on her body.


    "Start cycling already," Gale urged her.


    Wang Li was wide awake the moment she ingested the medicinal drink, but after ingesting the divine wine, she felt like losing herself to the sweetness of the high-spirited drink. What''s the point of cycling, anyway? This was what she sought all along. All her pain and distress were nothing but mere afterthoughts.


    "Wang Li," Gale said, nudging her on the shoulder. "Don''t waste the opportunity."


    The innkeeper blinked as a distressed sign appeared on her expression. After a little more consideration, she nodded, and got down on the ground to sit cross-legged. She lost herself in cycling the excessively rich energy that was introduced into her channels.


    She could feel her Qi growing, her spirit arts improving dramatically. In the span of a few hours, she would be able to make improvements by leaps and bounds.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Now it was Xiaolin''s turn. Xiaolin stepped forward, hesitantly, taking in the medicinal drink first, even though she wasn''t drunk. After ingesting it, she found the drink gave a simr result to the pure crystal, but instead of her body and spirit, it awakened her mind. Also, with that terrible bitter taste.


    Worse, in that awakened state of her mind, she could feel even more of that bitter taste. She made a disgusting face and nced at her master.


    Gale handed her the drink as she sat cross-legged next to her elder sister as well. Her hair shimmered in bright gold the moment she ingested a sip of the spirit wine. Her eyes went wide as a spark of light flickered in them as well.


    Xiaolin could intuitively feel her body absorbing all the benefits from the wine, as she grew warmed, her skin turning red, a somewhat different manifestation than her elder sister, but she had to ease her way with cycling as well.


    As both women lost themselves in cycling, Gale moved from his seat to stand behind them protectively. Both of the women were sweating profusely, cycling eagerly as the rich energy not only benefits the spirit arts, but their bodies, too.


    It was made by a sage, Gale would be cursing him if it didn''t have any other effect.


    Xiaoiln''s new clothes were made of high-grade silk to be wasted just by that. Though he couldn''t say the same for the innkeeper, who changed into a regr robe. Her wet robes were already stuck to her body, outlining her mature curves. Unconsciously, Gale found himself staring at her impressive figure.


    He shook his head afterwards. Although the sight was a feast for his eyes, it would only make it difficult for him. It would take them an hour or so to cycle all the benefits into their bodies, well, slightly lower for his disciple.


    Gale grunted, as it was too much time to distract himself.


    Gale had nothing to do at that time other than look after them. So he made a drink for himself, although instead of the ss, he took in a big jug. He poured a mouthful amount of ambrosia into themon wine, as smelling the intoxicating fragrance in the air had affected him as well.


    Gale sipped in the drink and felt all his distress and anxiety driving away. After done with the jug, he poured another one, sipping in slowly.


    About half an hourter, Xiaolin showed signs of waking up from her practice. With her high speed of cycling and peculiar constitution, she easily beat her elder sister to get most of all the benefits.


    "I feel so good," Xiaolin said, her voice dreamy, with a red blush on her face and neck.


    "Even more than when your master bullies you?" Gale asked, stooping near to check on her state.


    "Master!" Xiaolin squeaked. She misread his intention and hugged him, rubbing her face again on his cheek.


    Gale let her hug him and ran his Qi sense to do a quick inspection of her. She seemed fine, intoxicated with the high-grade spirit wine in her system, but she already cycled arge part of it. Xiaolin would be fine by the morning.


    Gale wasn''t sure the same could be true for the older woman. Well, considering her case, she would take double the time in cycling, and more to recover. But her benefit would be better as well.


    "Keep herpany. She will need half an hour or more," Gale said, standing up. "I''ll go and take a bath."


    With that, Gale left for the bath with the jug half full of spirit wine.


    __________________

 Chapter 211 205 Blunder (1) - NSFW

    NSFW!


    Explicit mature content, read at your own discretion.


    _________________


    It had been a long time since Gale fell asleep in the bath. He figured the ambrosia was the reason behind it, as he couldn''t clearly remember how much he had ingested that thing unless he brought out the bottle to check.


    Thankfully, he hadn''t been in the bath for long as there were still stars twinkling in the sky, a chilly wind brushing his body, causing him to feel goosebumps.


    Gale got out of the bath and dried himself up before draping on a new loose robe from his void lock. He was still a little intoxicated from the ambrosia, but challenging his Qi for some time would solve that.


    The inn was mostly dark now, though the decorated light constructs were still lit outside. As he had thought, he found no one in the hall of the inn.


    They probably went to bed after being done with cycling. Gale, with the same thought in mind, wandered in the direction of his room.


    Unexpectedly, he found someone walking across the front corridor hessitantly. She stopped finding his figure in the dark. Gale was about to call her as the frame of the person was exactly simr to Xiaolin, but he stopped when he saw her eyes.


    In the dim light, he could easily determine, those weren''t Xiaolin''s golden eyes.


    The figure waited for him to say something, blinking at him.


    "Sorry," Gale said as she departed shyly.


    Gale let out a breath and remembered what Xiaolin had promised him. His spirit was elected, remembering there was still a girl waiting for him in her room.


    Gale had wasted too much time in the bath, but he figured she would be thrilled to have his touch as well. Not to mention, he still had so much to teach her about intimacy.


    Unable to keep up with his desire, Gale sought the direction of Xiaolin through the bond. It easily told the general direction, and with little effort, Gale covered the distance toe before the door of her room.


    It was open, as she promised him. Still, Gale called beforeing in, sliding the door open. "Linlin, are you awake?"


    But s! The girl was fast asleep, with a nket over her head. Seeing her like that, Gale''s heart could not help but swell with fondness. He grew near her floor bed and slid inside her nket, embracing her from behind.


    The girl in his embrace whimpered, still wasn''t awake, but unconsciously, she made a little way for him, moving slightly.


    "Sorry, I''mte," Gale whispered into her ear and then kissed her ear, his arm clinging to her waist.


    "Mhm!" she whimpered as Gale''s lips drew below, on her neck, kissing her sweet skin as both of their temperatures rose.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His arms weren''t idly in the process, though, moving around her body to slide into her robes. ?He started to whisper sweet words into her ears, easing his way, loving her more with each moment of his kisses.


    An evil fire rose in Gale''s groin as his manhood erected to stick against her buttocks. Unconsciously, she started to rub her buttock against it, feeling the heat it was emitting.


    Gale tucked her robe open. Now only her undergarment was obstructing his path to her lovely bosoms. Gale slid past that too, his palm moving to her breasts, caressing her and sending waves of pleasure through her body.


    The girl moaned in pleasure, her body shaking. Gale smiled to himself. Now she was awake.


    She stopped rubbing her cushiony butt cheeks against his manhood, discovering what she was doing.


    "Why did you stop?" Gale whispered, easing his lower body to rub against her butt.


    She clutched his palm, which was groping her breasts softly, whimpering, her breathing hot and heavy.


    The rubbing of his manhood was probably too much for her virgin heart. But if Gale stopped here, she would never learn. Not to mention, just as much as her, he needed her touch as well.


    Gale clutched her palm and brought it closer to his groin. Her palm shook when he rested it on his warm manhood. Her palm tried to escape, but Gale held it close and tight, squeezing the warm erection.


    "Linlin, help me this once," he pleaded, his hot breath brushing her neck.


    He managed to ease her a little, but she wasn''t doing anything with her palm. Gale let out a hot breath and guided her, letting her squeeze his manhood that wanted to get out of the confines of his pants.


    He pressed her fingers harder, his prick growing even more violent under her squeeze. But that wasn''t enough for Gale. He slid his other arm below her, reaching for her breasts again. Stroking it for some time, he moved his hand down, running his fingers down on her t belly, heading even lower, to her inner thigh.


    The girl gasped and moved closer to him, her? heart rate increasing as Gale continued exploring her body. He turned her around as both of their hot breaths met. Gale sealed her lips and savoured her sweet taste. The fragrance of ambrosia was still on her lips.


    Making her breathless was easier than eating pie; so to give her some to adjust, Gale moved his lips downer on her neck, showering kisses there.


    He could feel her body trembling under his touch as she let him take control. Gale moved his hand up, tracing circles around her curves, and pulled her closer to him. He could feel her warmth and her heart beating faster and faster as he moved his hand lower. His palm moved around her waist, then onto her hips as a current spasmed through her lower body.


    Gale moved his lips to her bountiful breasts, licking her nipples, sucking onto them as he groped her buttock.


    He sucked on her nipple in wanton abandon, and then something warm and sweet sprayed into his mouth.


    Gale wasn''t concerned at first, swallowing down the sweet savoury liquid, but then his lips relented,prehending what was spraying into his mouth.


    Milk.

 Chapter 212 206 Blunder (2)

    Gale rose from on top of her, his eyes meeting hers. The nket slid off his back and he finally saw the golden-haired girl sleeping soundly next to the woman he mistook her with.


    Gale''s mind crashed immediately, as he screamed inwardly.


    ''FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!'' ?


    His mind sobered uppletely at the mistake he had caused. No, it wasn''t simply a mistake. It was an outright blunder. A blunder that could destroy the new life he was trying to build up in this valley.


    ''Why the hell didn''t she scream!?'' he wanted to scream at her, butposed himself somewhat. Although countless such ideas came to his head in a matter of a nick  of a moment.


    He took a deep breath and tried to think of a way out. No, that wasn''t it. A way out wouldn''t solve the problem. Well, to be honest, he couldn''t see any way to solve the problem. All he hoped to do was pacify it.


    What should be the right course of action from here?


    He could wake Xiaolin up and try to exin the situation to her, but that seemed like apletely bad idea. He had wronged both the women in the room without even knowing anything.


    What was he going to say to her, anyway? That as a gold ranker, he mistook another woman for her? No, that didn''t seem right either. And when did his senses be so weak that he would make such a huge mistake?


    Was he simply thinking with his dick? Or the ambrosia screwed his head.


    ''And why the fuck she left the door open if they decided to sleep together?''


    Gale really wanted to cling onto one of those excuses, where it wasn''tpletely his fault. Well, it wasn''tpletely his fault. One coincidence after another led up to it. But he yed the key role in that, which put him in the worst possible situation.


    Gale calmed himself and returned to the woman he had wronged. ?He had made a blunder, and he knew it.


    The right course of action from here was to apologise to her first and then try to exin the misunderstanding.


    But what if she didn''t believe him?


    Well, maybe he could present his case well. For example, Xiaolin asked him toe to her room at night, and how he could have mistaken her for Xiaolin.


    ''I mean, both of her heights were about the same,'' Gale told himself. ''Wang Li just had a more hourss-shaped figure, but how can I make the difference in the heat of excitement?''


    Gale was pretty sure he would have gone even further if it wasn''t for the milk spraying into his mouth. That would bepletely unforgivable.


    Then again, he had done enough unforgivable things already.


    Gale let out a breath again. All that didn''t matter much.


    He would have to take responsibility for his mistake and apologise, even if it meant that he would be making it difficult between the three of them.


    Taking a deep breath, Gale looked her in the eyes and said, "I''m sorry. . . I mistook you for Xiaolin. I take full responsibility. Please forgive me."


    No response.


    Wang Li clutched her robe close to her chest, looking at him usingly, tears dropping from her eyes in a twinkle. ?


    Gale wanted to exin more, that Xiaolin asked him to enter her room at dark, but he knew it wouldn''t make a difference. Although all parties were at a fault, Gale was in the centre of it. He felt helpless, and all he could do was apologise.


    "I''m sorry, Wang Li," he said softly. "I didn''t mean to hurt you. I''ll take full responsibility if you just. . . Please say something. . ."


    A silence.


    "Wang Li?" Gale drew his palm to touch her arm, but she moved away, still in shock.


    "Leave," Wang Li said, her voice cracking, as tears came rapidly.


    She couldn''t meet his eyes, nor think straight at this moment. She wasn''t going to scream, as that would make the situation even more troublesome with the house full of guests.


    "I . . ." Gale''s voice trailed off, but he didn''t challenge her.


    He got off and stood up. He gave her a second nce as she remained sitting there, clutching her clothes.


    "I''m genuinely sorry." Gale left those words and moved out of the room.


    He moved directly towards the open veranda, navigating with his sobered-up mind. When he got there, he released his third fate lock and flew away at the top of his speed.


    * * *


    Wang Li remained sitting like that for over an hour, her mind grieving at what had transpired. No delight of her progress in spirit arts was present in her spirit anymore, as her shoulders sagged. She remained sitting in the dark, leaning against the wall.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''Why didn''t I scream?'' That was the biggest question on her mind.


    At first, Wang Li was asleep when Gale hugged her from the back, only reacting unconsciously. She only managed some lucidity when he removed her robes and groped her bosoms. But even more so, she was confused at that point, with her mind still having the aftereffects of the wine.


    However, she was wide awake when he heard his voice. Despite all the intoxication and confusion, Wang Li still maintained enough rity to be able to recognise the man who embraced her.


    She put an effort into struggling out of his grasp immediately, but her body hardly had the power. She knew that she should have screamed, but her voice didn''te out.


    It was like her throat had been sealed shut by invisible forces,pletely immobilising her. Then her mind went intoplete disarray, her body trembling, and her heart beating crazily.


    She lost all power to fight back as an unbridled desire got hold of her. Before she knew it, she was reaching for the touch, weing it, as if wanting to fill the holes in her life.


    Wang Li was shameful to admit it, but she was just at fault. Although the master practitioner started it, she let him continue.


    Then it hurt so badly when he uttered Xiaolin''s name.


    ''I made a terrible mistake,'' Wang Li screamed inwardly, turning her head towards the golden-haired girl sleeping soundly.


    Wang Li regarded Xiaolin as her younger sister. How could she have done that to her? Xiaolin, of all people.


    Tears started rolling down her face as the guilt overwhelmed her. She had let Xiaolin down.?


    ***


    Xiaolin awokete with a bit of tiredness. Such a morning was pretty rare as she was amodated to waking up early with the sun.


    Xiaolin wasn''t sure if it was the after-effect of the three drops of ambrosia she dranktest night, but it was more likely.


    That was the first drink of her life, and it introduced a whole new world to her. She was absolutely on cloud nine light night, even after shepleted her cycling to purify the energy.


    Xiaolin slept with her elder sisterst night, as she had to give her room to the doll girl Fang Chen, as no other rooms were avable. Well, Xiaolin didn''t mind giving her the room for one night, considering if the young oracle''s divination was correct, and the doll-girl was really important to save her master''s life in a critical situation.


    ''If that divination turns out to be true, what about the other one she told me privately?'' Xiaolin wandered as anxiety got a hold of her.


    Then she found the new ne on her neck. A silly smile crept to her lips as Xiaolin stood up. There was still time for her to get worried. Besides, her master told her he would talk with her about it first before deciding about such a matter.


    Like most days, she proceeded toplete her daily ritual of feeling her master''s presence through the bond. Weirdly, today she barely felt anything when she focused on the small bond mark on her abdomen.


    A frown crawled up on her brows, as Xiaolin tried harder, but the result remained the same.? All she could feel was him being far away, in the direction of their farm.


    ''Did he leave already?'' Xiaolin wandered. ''Without telling me?''


    Xiaolin moved out of the room and found her elder sister meditating on the open veranda like most days. She found Vale ying with Rong''er on thewn as well, but no sign of her Master.


    Xiaolin waited for Wang Li to finish her meditation. Then she finally remembered her promise ofst night to her master.


    ''Crap,'' Xiaolin cursed to herself. ''Is he angry at me for forgetting about it?''


    But as far as she knew her master, he would want to talk with her to clear any misunderstanding, not leave without her. That wasn''t her master.


    Perhaps something big happened on the farm.


    "Xiaolin," Wang Li said, finishing her meditation.


    Xiaolin broke her contemtion and focused on her elder sister. She looked somewhat distressed in her eyes, although she couldn''t put a finger on it.


    "Did something happen, elder sister?" Xiaolin asked.


    Wang Li didn''t respond.


    "Have you seen my master?" Xiaolin asked again. "I feel like he left without me. Did he say anything before leaving?"


    Wang Li opened her lips to say something, but her mouth remained hung open as she couldn''t find the words to describe how ashamed she was feeling.


    "I''m sorry," Wang Li said, biting her lips.


    "Elder sister?" Xiaolin looked at her confusedly. "What are you sorry for?"


    "Xiaolin, I think we need to talk about this in somewhere private. Pleasee with me. I can''t forgive myself if I don''t tell you this."

 Chapter 213 207 Murderer (1)

    I whistled a familiar tune as I mined the fire crystal in the heat. My whole body was soaking in sweat, but I was far from distressed.


    I still have the energy to put in ten times the effort even though I almost reached my quota for the day and still have hours left of the deadline.


    "Well, you seem to be in a good mood," Cameron said. He was barely halfway point of meeting his quota.


    "Why wouldn''t I be?" I said, meeting his gaze. "Or right, we''re just ves."


    Well, at least not the lowliest of the low among the ve, which I was a month ago.


    "Did something good happen?" Cameron asked again. He was suspicious about my newfound strength, although he hadn''t asked anything about it yet.


    "Good like?"


    "Something rted to women?" Cameron asked, shooting a knowing look.


    I halted, giving him an odd look. "Women? Where are they?" I asked, scoffing. "I ain''t seeing any woman, and you''re using the plural form of it."


    Cameron clicked his tongue. "Then what''s the secret behind your happiness?" he asked. "You used to be all gloomy during working hours, although with your usual jokes, but the gloom never disappears from your face like this."


    "Well," I said, hesitating, "look at my trolley. I''m doing pretty fine with my ving work."


    "That I can see." Cameron narrowed his eyes. "I guess all your exercise came to fruition. I''m just too old for anything after I clear this out."


    I was pretty sure Cameron was already onto me. Although his behaviour seemed fair, he was one intelligent guy. He was at his wit''s end after every day''s work most days, but it wouldn''t take a genius to figure out something wrong with someone who grew twice or more powerful in a matter of a month.


    Well, I hadn''t shown all of my power at work, but it didn''t take for someone to grow suspicious.


    Well, I had my argument, like the healing potions helping me to adapt quickly while most people would take half a year or more.


    Anyway, since the topic was going where I wasn''t ready to talk about, I excused myself, lying to the former ountant. I felt bad about lying, but there was no other choice for me at that moment.


    I really wanted to tell me, but that wasn''t just my decision to take, since it wasn''t just me in this. I promised Saarya, and she had put all her trust in me. Both of our lives were interlinked through this cooperation. Although she acted all mysterious and probably not under any of the guard''s overview, Saarya feared them considerably.


    She had no power to struggle on her own. I''m her only hope. Of course, she never said anything along those lines, but it didn''t take a genius to figure that out, either.


    Telling him some white lie that I had to meet Elea, I moved deeper into the mine. I could sense, Cameron''s eyes on me, but I simply departed, letting out a breath.


    I rested my trolley, going somewhere quieter and fierier, and picked up the pickaxe again.


    Now it was time to make some money.


    I started to pick the fire crystals, mining them from the rtively hotter region. After getting a handful of them, I poured them all into the alternative dimension of my left wrist.


    I did not intend to use those to earn a few coins as a ve. I was nning to use them once for something more bombastic. Yes, I was barely a copper ranker, but a n had been growing in my head since the day I advanced.


    Saarya helped in curving out most of the n, but that''s exactly what teamwork was about.


    The only problem was that I still couldn''t manage to pull anything out of the pocket dimension, even after Saarya taught me the trick which could help me. It was simply not possible to learn the ''Qi Sense'' spirit art she imparted to me.


    ording to her, this art was particrly hard for low-rankers to learn. I needed a high grasp over your Qi to let them emit as threads in the surroundings to pick up any disturbance.


    Saarya told me that anyone with higher proficiency in this art could literally see and hear anything under the scope of their Qi Sense.


    I guessed that''s how she knew all those things about me, even though I never saw her spying on me. She was probably doing it from a respectful distance away.


    I stole about an hour of my work, putting in most of my effort. That was already one-third of the trolley. It tired me out greatly, but it was still far from filling the space.


    I started cycling Qi as a soothing feeling surged through me. That''s one benefit of Qi. It could relieve your exhaustion quickly.


    After I recovered, I pushed the trolley back to Cameron. The former ountant was still putting in his effort intopleting his quota.


    I decided I should help him a little. Although I couldn''t tell him all the truth, I could spend a part of my energy on him after everything he did for me.


    However, I wasn''t finished with anything when someone came to disturb our honest work.


    Joseph, the only among the earthlings that managed to elevate his position from a lowly ve to a lowly guard, glowered at me the moment he found us.


    He was in his guard costume, a thick ck robe with purple straps on his person, a sword hanging low on his hips. I was a foot taller than the fe, but his muscles were well-built after he went through the iron transformation.


    ording to Saarya, most guards were iron ranks, while there were twelve captains and handfuls of other workers who were silver rankers. Above them were those men I met during my summoning.


    Joseph came over and halted to stand before us. He turned his head towards me, as if wandering whether he found the right person or not.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You," he said.


    "Me?" I arched my eyebrow.


    "You''re number 309?" he asked, his voice cool and inquisitive.


    "No, I''m just Gale," I answered before I could think of anything.


    Joseph narrowed his eyes at me, eyes boring at me in malevolence. I kind of had the urge to meet his gaze. I really wanted to shove something into this arrogant piece of work''s face, but it wasn''t the time yet.


    So I lowered my head, which seemed to satisfy Joseph somewhat. But notpletely.


    He came forward and caught me by the hair that had been growing for some weeks now.


    Joseph pulled it upwards, leading me to groan in pain. I gritted my teeth as the guard drew his eyes to the cor on my neck.


    Saarya already made the cor faulty, but he didn''t know anything about it. I suppressed my anger, keeping that in mind.


    Joseph was simply looking for the numbertched onto the cor. Satisfied with finding number 309, he released me, albeit jerking onest time.


    "Come with me," he told me in his evermanding tone.


    "Where?" I asked. "I still haven''tpleted my quota for the day."


    Joseph lifted his head to look at me again, displeasure growing in his eyes. He simply rammed his foot into my chest.


    I saw iting and could''ve dodged it if I tried, but for obvious reasons, I endured.


    His kicknded on my chest as he pinned me to the ground, still sticking his foot onto me, putting pressure, causing me to groan loudly.


    "I didn''t hear it clearly, Bard," Joseph said in his chilling voice. "Did you just question me?"


    I groaned, blooding out of my mouth.


    "Sir, he didn''t mean to." Cameron came to my rescue, kneeling in front of the guard. "He just fears theshing. It''s already over 270 times. He could barely endure that number ofshing."


    Cameron''s words put Joseph into contemtion as he stared at the sorry figure under his foot.


    "When I ask you to do something, you follow," Joseph told me, eyes boring at me, "is that clear?"


    No answer. I just stared at him.


    "Is that clear?"


    Cameron nudged me on the back, reminding me that I was making a mistake. Atst, I relented, remembering I had a bigger purpose than shoving a foot into some prick''s face.


    "Yes," I croaked, answering.


    "Good," Joseph said. "No follow me."


    He released me as I breathed in and out excessively, as if to show how much distress he had caused me. I found no remorse in his eyes, knowing that he was harming an innocent individual.


    What am I looking for in him, anyway? I questioned myself. Imani had already mentioned not to do anything with this fe. There was some history between them that most people weren''t aware of.


    I stood back up and followed the cloaked figure without questioning him again, even though my heart was crying, demanding to know where he was taking me.


    What did this fellow want from me, anyway? I was a hopeless ve to outsiders. That''s a bona fide fact.


    Joseph brought me to the collection ce, but that wasn''t the destination, either. I left my trolley with Cameron as I would have to go back after this toplete my quota. Well, unless this guy had some other intention in mind.


    He led towards the guard''s chambers some distance away from there. We went further from there until we reached a rtively quiet ce. I had a bad feeling about this.


    We finally stopped before another long row of chambers, mostly empty ones, this time around.


    "Why are we here again?" I couldn''t help but question. A re from him led me to shut my mouth again as I uttered a word of apology. "Sorry."


    "Someone wants to meet you inside. Go on."


    _________


    This is thest shback chapter sequence of volume one.

 Chapter 214 208 Murderer (2)

    I watched the leaving figure of Joseph for an extended time, standing before the entrance of the quarter. I knocked just to let him know I wasn''t just wasting time, but only being polite.


    Something that bastard needed to learn.


    "Come in," a voice said in the nativenguage of this world. Saarya taught me the basics of the nativenguage for me to understand that much. Well, I could understand it a lot more than that.


    I only entered when I found the fe covered a respectful distance.


    the inside of the quarter was a one long hall room with things cramped together in an unorganised manner. Tables and shelves were full of all kinds of ingredients, emitting a pungent aroma that seemed to linger in the air.


    The temperature was on the colder side as well, leading me to think thisboratory was built for a different purpose altogether. And probably sealed with all kinds of enhancements like soundproofing, spirit energy conditioning, if that was a thing cause I felt a lot refreshed just getting inside, and whatever else was there that I could barely sense.


    The room is dimly lit, with only a couple of light constructs providing enough light to see by. The walls were lined with shelves that were crammed full of various jars, bottles, and vials of all shapes and sizes. Some werebelled with strange symbols and markings, while others seemed to bepletely unmarked.


    The centrepiece of the room was a long, stone table that dominated the centre of the space. It was covered in a chaotic mess of books, papers, and various tools of the trade, as well as various sks, beakers, and test tubes, scattered irresponsibly, as if no one else hade to this ce other than the owner.


    Other than all that, there were a couple of things that caught my attention the most. First was therge furnace, bubbling away with a cauldron full of some mysterious concoction in the corner of the room. Complementing the chaotic surroundings, I can''t help but wonder what kind of magical experiments and elixirs were created in this mysterious and fascinatingboratory.


    The other was the person standing next to it. An Oldman with gray hair and wrinkles on his face. Although the face wasn''t all that familiar to me, and the thick-framed spectacle was a new addition, I remember it all too clearly in my mind.


    Theodore. The Oldman who healed me and almost killed me for assaulting him in my early days in this hellhole.


    I swallowed my breath, unconsciously, finding the Oldman narrowing his eyes at me.


    "Sit down," Theodore told me.


    I just looked at him foolishly, even though I understood him.


    Theodore clicked his tongue and pointed towards the seat next to the centre table. My expression was enough to remind him, I didn''t know hisnguage.


    "I sit there?" I asked in English. Although the Oldman wouldn''t be able to understand English, he could figure out mynguage pretty easily.


    He nodded, as slowly I moved to rest my butt a few paces away from him. When that was done, I found the Oldman returning to his magical concoction.


    Hmm, that jolted me awake, remembering those chilling healing potions he fed me. How many of those were in this room? I scanned the whole room to mostly find raw ingredients, a lot of fire crystal reserves, and not many vials of thepleted product.


    After I finished my inspection, I returned to pondering over my summoning here. A chill ran through my spine as many ideas came to my mind. Most of them weren''t looking good for me.


    Could they have suspected something about my survival and decided to test it? I mean, they were already suspicious of something from the beginning, putting me through the hellish process of beating and healing for a week.


    They discarded me thinking I was apletely lost cause. But that wasn''t the case at all. I''m a practitioner of spirit arts like them now. A Fatebearer, whatever that term meant.


    I only heard it in Saarya''s mouth, and when I asked her about it, all she said was that I bear the fate of two worlds.


    No, there was no protection from fate and some other shit, I could easily die like most low-rankers. God, even theshing could kill me if it was simply executed for killing people.


    As if noticing the change in my expression, Theodore turned to me, inspecting me once again. His eyes seemed to linger on my left arm which was still wrapped in a ragged cloth.


    Unconsciously, I found myself hiding my left hand with the right, sping them together. That was probably the most suspicious thing I have done. And god damn it, it piqued the Oldman''s interest as he regarded me.


    Theodore came forward to stand face-to-face with me. He pointed to the cloth in my left palm and said something in his native tongue. I didn''t know what he said, but I could understand it pretty clearly.


    He wanted me to uncover my left wrist.


    A troubled look appeared on my face instantly as I tried to y confused. It didn''t work.


    It seemed my behaviour revolted the Oldman as the next movement he came out ring his Qi at me.


    It was like a hard p impacting my whole body, sticking me to the seat altogether. If I tried, I mean, if I really tried, I think I would get out of this, pretty easily.


    But that would release my cover.


    Theodore caught my left palm and started uncovering the cloth roughly, with no sentiments. My entire world crashed onto me when I found the look on his face when he discovered the fate mark on my wrist.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    His face was ravenous. A savagery craze, eager to take irresponsible measures to get his way.


    ''Oh my god, he''s going to kill me,'' I cried inwardly. Even if he didn''t, I''m not feeling any goodwill out of him. He was going to do something to me.


    ''What do I do? What do I do?''


    Theodore proceeded to inspect the make of my palm, introducing his Qi into my wrist. A cold craze got over me as he drew his energy into me. My mind chilled with violent ideas, ideas that could help me get out of this situation.


    Theodore''s Qi came into contact with the fate mark, and like what happened with Uncle Phillips, the mark devoured the Qi like a glutinous demon.


    A frown crawled up into the oldman''s wrinkled brows. He poured more energy into the mark, trying to bypass its control.


    That was his first mistake.


    The mark didn''t rest its devouring. It was autonomous, and the suction force became all the more violent when I willed it to happen.


    Theodore jolted, trying to take back his palm, but I didn''t let him. A small portal to the other dimension opened as the Oldman''s palm lost into it, sucking in with overwhelming suction force.


    "This isn''t right. This can''t be happening!"


    Theodore yelped, raising his Qi to break the vtile spatial maniption. I waspletely free of his maniption and jabbed my fist into his face.


    It felt like I hit a fucking tree, but I continued with it, punching him with all my force, ring all of my Qi.


    Theodore had only one arm free, but he managed to stop me, strangling my neck.


    I struggled, the little portal bing even more vtile at my trouble. A sudden whiteness filled my eyesight as I searched for anything to hold onto.


    The only thing I found was a sk of liquid. I wasted no more time and rammed the sk into his face.


    Theodore''s superior body gave him enough protection to evade any damage that coulde from the ss shattering in his face. Thankfully, he wasn''t free of all the damage.


    The red liquid burned into his face. A thick pungent odour reeked around them. Theodore screamed his eyes burning out. He let go of my palm as I kicked him in the midsection, performing many of my ball-crushing rituals.


    Theodore dropped onto the ground. I grasped and found the little portal was no more, but it caused much damage to the Oldman''s arm, which seemed to have gotten hard and unfeeling.


    "I will kill you," Theodore screamed. "Bardi! This is going to be you--"


    I didn''t let him finish, clutched whatever was on the table, and threw them at him. Within a couple of throws, I somehow managed to make fire. It ignited into his thick robes.


    Theodore rolled on the ground to put off the fire, as I continued to throw stuff at him.


    It didn''t take me long to understand the sks weren''t doing anything anymore. And Theodore was already recovering some of his nerves.


    Iunched himself at him, ramming my fist into his neck. I infused all the Qi I could control and empowered my fist to jab into his neck, tearing neck muscles and shattering his spinal cord.


    But that wasn''t enough. I rammed my elbow next, trying to break his windpipe. I strangled him on the ground with my elbow, screaming furiously.


    Rage and indignation crashed my mind as I put the Oldman through all the misery I felt in this hell.


    All the misery they caused me felt liberated as I hurt him.


    I felt sick that it felt so good. I felt my stomach churning, but there was no going back to what I started.


    I stabbed my elbow in unrelenting motions of back and forth, even when I found no struggle from the old man.


    He''s dead.


    I stopped and stared at the act of violence Imitted.


    Oh, Mother, I''m a murderer!

 Chapter 215 209 Murderer (3)

    Oh, Mother, I have killed him!


    I''m a murderer!


    I stumbled to the floor next to Theodore, my chest heaving up and down. My mind chilled at the violence I caused.


    There was no excitement. Not anymore. No glee or craziness. Just a chill, an inhumane chill feeling bobbled up in my chest.


    Just a look at the body reminded me of how I had killed him. I did it with my own hand. I did it with. . . Oh god!


    I groaned on my four limbs, trying the breathing exercise to calm myself, but no matter how much effort I put into it, it lost in my frantic wheezing.


    ''I need to get out of here,'' I screamed inwardly. I couldn''t watch the dead Oldman anymore.


    Getting off on my feet, I wanted nothing but to shoot out of the sealed door, but . . . That''s not really the right move to take at this moment.


    Curse mymon sense, but I probably wouldn''tst even a couple of hours if I left right now, leaving everything exactly as it was.


    I had to do something about the body and all the evidence I was leaving behind.


    "What to do. . . What to do?" I wondered chaotically, pacing fast in the room.


    The constant streaming of the cauldron was damn annoying, making me even more anxious and foolhardy. For a second, I thought of pouring a few top-grade fire crystals into the cauldron and letting it explode.


    Sadly, I wasn''t sure how much damage it could cause, probably not enough to destroy the wholeb. Besides, even if the explosion wouldn''t be instantaneous, it would be within a couple of minutes, as Saarya taught me.


    That wasn''t enough time for me to get away, even if the explosion destroyed all the evidence of my sin.


    Wait a second, why destroy it at all? When could I make most of the things vanish?


    A crazy idea got into my brain, and it was probably the best I could hope for at that moment.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I calmed myself as a rudimentary n came to me. I was surprised at myself how quickly I calmed down. I was a bit sick at the ruthlessness as well, but I didn''t have breath to waste on useless thoughts.


    I re-established my connection with the fate mark and created another portal. It was smaller than I needed at this moment. I poured more energy into it, everything I had, and willed it to expand.


    It did and was barely enough to dump a corpse into it. And that''s exactly what I was intending.


    Giving the dead Theodore ast look, I stashed his body into a world of darkness. Alright, the most critical evidence was taken care of. Nobody would believe I was walking around with a corpse in my person.


    But my work wasn''t done yet. Now it was to give a different story to what transpired here. I went on with the robbery.


    Leaving the burned clothes, blood, and chemicals on the floor, I got to robbing off all that seemed valuable in thisb. Other than the delicate ssware that wouldn''t survive inside the space, I poured all the ingredients as well as dozens of stashes of potions that I found hidden inside a ck wooden box.


    I looted the boxpletely, hoping this would help me somehow in the long run. Then there were many rough white stones. I had my suspicions of them being the spirit crystals¡ªthe primary resources of cultivation¡ªand my doubts were answered when I found coins made of the same article.


    I robbed everything. When that was done, I closed the portal hole. That released a lot of pressure off me.


    Leaving most of the shelves empty, I moved on to the sks full of liquids. I searched for anything that had an acidic smell to it. It wasn''t particrly difficult, as I found over a dozen acidic solutions within a few seconds.


    Without waiting for a breath, I picked up two long sks delicately. I infused Qi into my arms, just in case.


    Then I moved far away, to where the cauldron was steaming. Without a second consideration, I threw the two sks where Theodore died, to wash away all the evidence he had left behind.


    The sh shattered into the floor as a thick acidic scent enamoured the air. I wrinkled my nose, wondering if it was enough.


    Just in my panic, I got to the shelf of acidic solutions again, and threw everything there. I managed to create fire yet again, a blue fire this time. Thankfully, it was put off easily without any effort from me.


    When everything was done, I finally sighed in relief. Well, not inplete relief. That was when I would get out of this hellhole.


    Now it was time to get the hell out of here. Before that, I checked my clothing. It was already wrinkled and in the worst condition possible. The only thing that could make others suspicious of me were the few spots of blood that smeared into my clothing.


    There was blood in my fist and elbows as well, reminding me again of what I had done.


    Searching around a bit, I found a huge jar of water. I drank a few mouthfuls first and then wiped my hands clean. As for the clothes, I just needed some rocky soil to camouge that.


    Okay, after I was done with everything, I gave theb a thorough nce. The signs of robbery were more apparent than a murder. Well, as far as I''m concerned, people would search for Theodore, unable to find him here.


    And if the Oldman was simply a caretaker of thesebs, then they would suspect him of running away with all the wealth first.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I hope.


    Satisfied, I got out of theb; my pace was careful, slow, and quiet. Thankfully, nobody was around in this part of the mind.


    Now all I have to do is escape without giving off any suspicious vibes.


    Act cool, Gale. Act cool! You''re the master of swagger. Use it!


    Done with taking care of the blood spots on my clothes, I started to creep away at a rather fast pace. I thought about slowing down. But thinking that I had the quota to meet, my fast pace would look more convincing.


    I only slowed down when I got to the collection hall. There were always people there, and now more so than before, as the collection hour was getting closer. I found a few of the guards watching me, including Joseph¡ªthe only earthling among the guards.


    To act more believable, I grunted in front of the clock, stammering a few curses. I found Joseph staring right at me.


    I bit my tongue, bowed down and started running towards the mine.


    Thankfully, nobody was chasing me, but I didn''t slow down. I waspletely at my wit''s end, after everything I pulled, from the murder to the racking of my brain toe up with something to hide that fact.


    Cameron was still mining when I got back. Well, I hadn''t been gone for much longer. Barely half an hour and a half of the time was for covering the distance.


    "You''re back," Cameron said, shooting me a look. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and considered me. "What was that about? Did they do something to you?"


    I grunted, wanting to vomit out everything right at this moment, but I kept my mouth shut. Even if Cameron was the right person, it wasn''t the right ce or time.


    "Gale?"


    "Um," I croaked, picking up my pickaxe. "Not now. I''ll tell youter at night."


    "You don''t look good," Cameron said. "Are you alright?"


    "Not now," I growled, and that behaviour was enough to shut up the former ountant. I would have apologised on my better days, but I found no reason to do it now.


    I just needed nothing on my mind now. So I concentratedpletely on mining.


    Unfortunately, mining wasn''t a creative work as most of my mind was free to imagine the terrible ways I would die. Most were exactly the imitation of how Theodore died.


    I gritted my teeth, hammering my pickaxe with all my power, which led Cameron to turn to me. I didn''t even consider that, as I couldn''t wait toplete the quota.


    "God damn it!"


    Cursing didn''t change anything, but mining did. It tired me quicker as I exerted all my effort into it. I crashed onto the floor when I was done, tearing up.


    I cried, scraping my fingers on the rocky surface of the world.


    Why was I so lost? Why was I getting worked up about killing the old man? He deserved it. I already nned to kill him months ago when I barely had any power. He deserved it.


    Every one of these people, all those vers, deserved it. I would not have remorse for their deaths. Then why?


    Why am I like this?!


    I didn''t have any answer.


    "I have to go," I muttered, and stood back up. I collected all the fire crystals, enough to meet my quota, and scurried from there, pushing my trolley, not giving Cameron another look.


    The collection waspleted without much attention to me, much to my relief. After done with that, I turned back to the way to my room immediately.


    When I got inside, I found Saarya waiting for me with a contemtive look in her eyes.


    I broke down on the floor immediately as she came to my rescue.


    "Did you know?" I barely asked.


    She nodded and held me close. "I know. I know what you hid and how you felt. I know, trust me, you''ll get better."


    "My mother would be so disappointed in me."

 Chapter 216 210 Prelude To The Storm (1)

    Gale flew alone in the dark night, as a chilly wind pped his face. He increased his speed, unceasingly; uncared and unbothered by the wind.


    Even the local festival had calmed down, as it was hours past midnight. Still, half of the lights were still ring. Only a handful of people could be seen in the area, mostly drunkards and prostitutes.


    It was a moonlit night as one full and another crescent moon beamed in the sky like an old-school lightbulb with countless stars twinkling, although the gathering clouds would cover them soon enough, if the Sun didn''t overshadow them before that.


    Gale flew aimlessly. He simply closed his eyes and let the wind lead him.


    Unconsciously, Gale found himself approaching Stormhold, which might be because he had no other ce to be, and the wind was leading in that direction. Probably thetter.


    On most asions, flying calmed him down, but that was not today.


    Moreover, the excessive use of his abilities caused him to have burning indignation in his body and spirit. He wouldn''t be relieved unless he drank the ambrosia again, or had the right amount of rest.


    The Stormhold was quiet as it could ever be. Only the creaking of insects could be heard as Gale flew over the farnd tond a dozen paces away from the mansion.


    Gale thought he would be alone at this time in the farnd, considering everyone was busy with the festival. But it seemed there was another person who couldn''t be bothered with the festival at all.


    Gale found a defenceless woman wrapped in a nket resting right on his open balcony peacefully. He didn''t have to reach next to her to discover who the figure belonged to.


    Sumei, the ebony-haired woman, seemed to have some problems with the outside world, as she never made her presence known. For that reason alone, she had to spend her nights in the wild. That got her into trouble on more than a few asions.


    For example, the first time Gale found her was when she appeared on his farm, wounding up seriously injured by wild beasts. Of course, he helped her, as it was the most humane thing to do; to help a stranger in need.


    After that night, he met Sumei a few times, and most of the time, she asked for a way to repay him.


    On theirst meeting, Gale gifted her a Stormhold token, which would give her free ess to enter through the formation he ced around the property.


    And it seemed she had invited herself in when he was in town, though she hadn''t entered the mansion yet. Her token left her with ess to a few guest houses, but he feared she didn''t even try, finding no one present.


    ''I guess she found it impolite to barge into someone''s home when they aren''t present.''


    Shaking his head, Gale climbed up the stairs to appear on the balcony. He stooped next to her and wondered what to do with her.


    Three options came to his mind, one after another:


    First, wake her up and offer the guest house.


    Second, Carry her to the guest room without disrupting her sleep.


    Third, leave her here in the cold.


    Gale eliminated the third option immediately, leaving only two options. He has a problem with the second option, considering it could cause a misunderstanding between them if he just carried her into the room without permission.


    Acknowledging what had happened back in the inn, Gale wasn''t in the mood to create another trouble for himself, even if she didn''t mind.


    That left only one option: waking her up first.


    But disrupting her rest might not let her sleep again tonight.


    On second thoughts, Gale sat next to her, leaning against the wall as a fourth option appeared on his mind: Stay on the balcony with her until she wakes up on her own.


    Gale gave her a look and looked up at the sky again. He sighed.


    The pain of overusing his Qi was still there, biting into his spirit. Gale was pretty sure he deserved it for failing so many people over the years. But he was in no mood to endure it today.


    Without bothering the woman sleeping peacefully, Gale brought out the bottle of Ambrosia and gulped in one mouthful of the divine wine.


    A soothing warmth filled his mind as all the vours and fragrance exploded in his mouth. Gale sipped in slowly, groaning in ecstasy.


    "Fucking hell!" He cursed out loud. "Why is everything my fault?! I know I have problems. . . a big temper. . . But why is everyone so prepared to me everything on me?"


    Gale sipped in another mouthful of the ambrosia as ecstasy enamoured his mind and body, but wasn''t feeling all that satisfied yet.


    "That Summoner! That fucker, if I get my hands on him, I''ll. . .I''ll. . ."


    Gale''s voice trailed off as a burp came out of his mouth, which led him to spray half a mouthful of ambrosia in the air.


    "I''ll kill him, I''ll kill that madafaka a thousand times. . . I''ll skin him alive and. . ."


    Words got lost in his mind when Gale found a palm tucked in his shoulder. He turned to find Sumei giving him a wide-eyed look.


    He burped again. "Sumei!" His voice was more enthusiastic than he hoped. "When did you wake up? Wait, did I disturb you? Sorry, sorry, that was totally my fault, but definitely not what I did back in the Inn."


    "What did you do back in the inn?" Sumei asked, her eyes wary and anxious.


    "I made a mistake," Gale sneezed. "No, no, it''s a blunder! But it was a mistake first, only she led it to a blunder."


    "She?" Sumei picked her eyebrow. "Who?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Wang Li," Gale said with a hup. "You''re right, she''s pretty and does have a beautiful figure."


    "Gale, are you alright?" Sumei touched him on the cheek, reaching to take away the bottle of Ambrosia from him. Gale clung to the bottle so strongly that her measly strength barely did anything.


    "I''m alright," Gale scoffed, "nothing ever happens to me. Never. It is always the people around me, but I always remain fine and free. . ."


    "Are you sure? You don''t look fine."


    Gale looked at her, eyes straight for an uncertain amount of time. She met his gaze straight as well.


    "Fine, fine," Gale said. "I''m whining, I know. But I''ll be fine. Hmm, tomorrow, I guess."


    Sumei shook her head, unable to keep him away from drinking any more.


    "When did you get so addicted to alcohol?" Sumei asked. "This isn''t like you."


    Gale snorted and sneezed together, leading him to break into a fit of coughs.


    "Funny, really," Gale said, clearing his throat. "I actually never have drunk a sip of alcohol beforeing to this world. I guess I have poor willpower and can''t stop myself from getting addicted to ecstasy."


    Sumei shook her head and moved to sit face-to-face with him. She touched his cheeks with both her palms.


    "Gale, Gale, look at me," Sumei said, her wavy hair swaying along the wind. "I wasn''tpletely aware of your situation, but I heard you mention everyone ming you for all that happened."


    Gale looked at her, stupidly, blinking at her image.


    "You don''t believe thatpletely, do you?" she said withplete certainty. "Perhaps that''s not even a thing. Maybe it''s only you who mes yourself for everything that happened."


    Gale stopped struggling and stared at her, blinking. He opened his mouth to say something, but it remained hung open, lost for words.


    Weirdly, he found the bottle of wine in her grasp next as she tossed it out below without care.


    "You need rest," Saarya said, guiding his head to herp. "At this rate, you''ll hurt yourself. Come on, rest."


    Saarya''s voice was ever so soothing, and her hands caressed his hair. Gale unconsciously closed his eyes and only then remembered it wasn''t Saarya.


    Saarya has been dead for six years now.


    She died trying to save him.


    "Don''t struggle," Sumei said. "Let everything go. It''s not your fault. Nothing is your fault. Rest and . . ."


    Gale mumbled something incoherent as he really brought into a deep sleep on herp.


    ***


    Gale dreamt of carnage and blood. Of war and ruin. Of love and loss.


    But there was someone to soothe him. Someone to cling onto his arm and guide him away of the carnage and blood the world led him to.


    She led him out of the ruins and into thend of peace and dreams. Into the valley of life and bright light.


    Saarya stood on the terrain of flowers, waiting for him, as Gale ran after her. She wasn''t moving, standing still with a smile on her lips.


    "You''re finally here," she said.


    Gale simply looked at her, eyes tearing up, teardrops dripping down his face. He reached to touch her, wanting to hold her in his embrace, but before he could do that a damnable stormnded on the surroundings.


    "Remember Gale," Saarya said. "What I asked of you? Remember, don''t ever forget that. You cannot--"


    ***


    "Gale! Gale! Wake Up!"


    Gale found someone shaking his body violently, calling his name.


    "Wake up, please! Something is wrong with your constructs."


    Sumei''s voice barely registered in his mind, but he was so lost about Saarya that he didn''t even want to listen to her.


    "Please, I think we''re under attack. They are breaking the defence construct. Please wake up. I don''t want to die!"


    _______________


    Ah, so this is the beginning of the climax chapters and is going to be quite long.

 Chapter 217 211 Prelude To The Storm (2)

    "Please, wake up! We are in trouble!"


    Gale rose to wakefulness, hearing her plea. His mind was still prickling with a headache, as he rose to his feet in confusion.


    "Attack? Where?"  he questioned, finding Sumei next to him.


    Sumei calmed down a little after he woke up, but was notpletely relieved.


    "There," she said, pointing towards. She pointed to the eastern side of the farm.


    Of course, none of them could see even with the slightest indication of an attack as it was quite far away with the drifting mist and fog obstructing their vision, hiding whatever was going on in that direction.


    "I went for a walk and noticed the disarray in energy flow and sparkling script constructs shaking," Sumei said. "They are at it for some time now, I don''t know how long the defence mechanism will be held up."


    A frown crawled up in Gale''s brows immediately. He didn''t say anything to free her from her worry. Instead, he cast his Qi sense and pushed the art eastwards. The periphery of the Stormhold was about a couple of Li in that direction, so he needed to exert utmost effort in picking up anything.


    It turned out there really was something going on as Gale easily noticed the disarray in energy flow and his formation cracking up.


    "There was no rm?" Gale turned the direction of his Qi Sense inwardly inside the mansion.


    "rm? I sensed nothing of that sort," Sumei answered.


    Gale confirmed her words, checking on the formation control hub. He found nothing amiss in the hub with the basic inspection of his Qi.


    "They are probably using some Stealth formation or artefact to conceal their doings," Gale remarked. Well, it was pretty hard to hack the formation, but not unachievable. They would need a damn experienced scriber who specialised in breaking formations. But even with that, they wouldn''t be able to conceal everything when they reach the climax of their work.


    ''Someone of such calibre and resources,'' he thought, wondering who could be attacking his base.


    A few of his old enemies had such means, but they weren''t aware of the situation. To many people, he was as good as dead, but he could understand a couple of them pulling all their effort into making sure he really was dead.


    Then there was the Han Family. Well, they are one of the noble houses of Tianhui, and should have the means, but Gale had signed the terms for a duel with Han Shitian, he wasn''t sure they would do something so drastic within a week.


    Then again, if his experience with the high-ss people of this world had taught him anything, they were quick to get infuriated and errantic.


    Gale could see theming up with a big move to end this situationpletely. No need to wait for a year to get their prized fate lock.


    "Gale?" Sumei called him, anxiety jittering her expression. "Aren''t you going to do something?"


    Gale turned to face her, as another suspicion came to his mind.


    Could those people, could they be after her? There was a valid chance of that, as Sumei clearly gave the vibe that she was hiding from something.


    "Yes," Gale said, e with me."


    Gale shot a few strands of Qi into the door to unlock it and scurried inside. He didn''t stop until he reached the control room on the ground floor, Sumei following him quickly.


    The whole room was lit with arrays of spirit scripts, various levers and switches to turn things on and off.


    "I really regret notpleting my project," Gale muttered as he pulled on a few of the levers and switched on the switches, as rich Qi started to flow through the script formation, re-establishing the defence mechanism system to its fullest potential.


    But the damage was already done.


    He found he, a few blocks of formation on the eastern side, wasn''t acting like they were a part of it, probably because they were almost reaching theplication of their task of breaking it.


    "Well, this won''t stop them from creating a hole in the formation to enter, but may as well defend the ce from turning into a ruin."


    Gold rankers'' fights were just like that. They were like natural disasters in low energy dense regions. Now, how did Gale know they were gold rankers that were trying to break into his home?


    Well, the answer was simply, nobody below gold rank would be able to do the damage they were doing to the system. He wasn''t sure how many were there, but he was pretty sure one among them was a High Gold.


    "So, what do we do now?" Sumei asked.


    "Well, it''s pretty simple," Gale said, "you hide in here, while I go greet our unwee guests."


    "What!?" Sumei stared at him incredulously. "Are you out of your mind?"


    Gale tilted his head as his neck muscle cranked up. "A little maybe," he said truthfully, "but don''t you worry, I have my ways."


    Saying that, Gale moved out of his house alone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    On this asion, he wasn''t going to y the good neighbour anymore, no matter who was ruining his work. He won''t y on the path of mercy this time around.


    Gale flew towards the eastern periphery of Stormhold. When he was midway, it was finally when the rm red. It was exactly the horn that he had to wake up to every day on his ve days, albeit a little quieter, still very annoying.


    [Alert! Alert! We are under attack!]


    [Stormhold is under attack!]


    [Formation - Q1033 has beenpromised. It will copse in t minus 12 seconds.]


    [Six Trespassers are identified. One High Gold, two Mid Gold, and three Low Gold]


    "Impressive numbers," Gale muttered as hended before the copsing formation.


    The recorded rm voice red continuously, but the formation copsed a couple of seconds before its predictions. The gold rankers were relentless after they hacked into Q1033, but the rm must have startled them to act immediately.


    Within the thick drifting mist, Gale found a few figures shooting into farnd as they noticed him, too.


    They didn''t stop until they encircled him from all directions of escape. Five of them were in ck cloaks from head to toe; only their eyes could be seen through the mask they were wearing. While one figure¡ªthe only high gold among them, who also was the leader--was in a dark khaki dress-up.


    He was simrly in a mask, but his one was not the non-attributed one like the other five.


    A red demon mask with horns. A unique fate lock, Gale concluded.


    "Gentlemen," Gale addressed them and turned to find a woman in the group. "Anddy. You have made a grave mistake."


    Then he simply took the direction he was free to get out of their encircle. Of course, the six masked figures encircled him onnd, but they didn''t know or forgot that he could fly away.


    Gale didn''t stop after getting out of the disadvantageous position, though. He elerated to fly towards the mountains, the six figures trailing behind him.


    ***


    "Elder Sister," Xiaolin asked, "What did you mean Master mistook you for mest night?"


    Wang Li stared at him, biting her lips, pondering over her next choice of words. "Exactly what I said," she said, letting out a breath. "He probably came to see youst night, but he didn''t know we two were sleeping together."


    "AHH!" Realisation crashed into Xiaolin''s small head as her eyes widened. "Oh, dear lord, I forgot. I was the one that asked him toe at night, and then I forgot to tell him when we decided to sleep together. You said he came to our room and mistaken you for me? Did you mean. . ."


    Xiaolin found herself lost for words as she stared at the older woman. "Did you mean. . ." The implication behind her words was easy to understand. "Did Master do something indecent with you, thinking you''re me?"


    Wang Li sighed, biting her lips. Still, she wasn''t ready to confesspletely, like how she was going to look into her eyes after this. Xiaolin would me her for eternity, and Wang Li could find nothing to relieve her pain.


    "Elder Sister, please tell me quickly," Xiaolin urged her, "I''m dying of anxiety."


    She was hoping her master didn''t do anything indecently awful to her, but in the middle of the night, both people were intoxicated with bits of divine wine, and her elder sister''s silence--all these signs were looking bad for her.


    "Yes," Wang Li said, atst. "He mistook you for me and. . .and. . ."


    Wang Li couldn''t find herself continuing that sentence. She fidgeted her fingers with the edge of her robes as indignation grew in her heart.


    "He acted intimate with me thinking I was you," Wang Li said, gritting her teeth. She wouldn''t even look into herself if she didn''t confess this to Xiaolin. "And I. . ."


    Xiaolin''s mind chilled as she cursed under her breath. "She told me this," she muttered, "I didn''t believe her. I didn''t want to believe her. . ."


    This was too sudden for her; too abrupt and quick. She was not even in the right age gap to deal with this, or even know how to react to this.


    "Elder sister, are you alright?" Xiaolin heard herself say. "You don''t look¡ª"


    "Woof!" A huge roar of the hound came from their back, as they heard fast footsteps approaching their room.


    Vale somehow managed to get in without breaking the door, as he barked at her anxiously.


    "What happened, Vale?" Xiaolin literally jumped to wrap her hands around the huge dog.


    _______


    Drop power stones/ golden tickets, and reviews to help the book grow.

 Chapter 218 212 Prelude To The Storm (3)

    Vale somehow managed toe in without breaking the door, as he barked at her anxiously.


    "What happened, Vale?" Xiaolin literally jumped to wrap her hands around the huge dog, trying to calm him down.


    Vale just barked, giving signs of his worries.


    "Is it about the Master?" she asked.


    The white dog woofed and nodded his head heavily.


    "Is he in danger?"


    Vale repeated the earlier reply.


    Anxiety pricked her mind, and Xiaolin forgot anything she had heard before now.


    "Danger," she asked, "What sort of danger? Is he hurt?"


    Vale wailed, unable to give an answer.


    Xiaolin bit her lips. "Can you lead me to him?"


    Vale woofed in agreement and crouched down, as if asking her to sit on top of him.


    "Are you serious?" Xiaolin asked.


    "Woof!" Another bark of affirmation.


    Atst, Xiaolin could only agree with the spirit of the guardian and decided to ride him. Vale, although looked fluffy and cute, his stand was firm, like a hundred years of Iron tree. And she could feel him growing.


    Vale''s body grew harder and a bit bigger as he paced out of the inn. His speed rose as the dog elerated more to rush in the direction of the mountains. Xiaolin literally had to cling onto his fur to not fall off.


    Mist still reigned over thend and more on the mountains as they shot through them. Over her head, she found drifting clouds gathering, mouring to the prelude to the store.


    ***


    Gale flew deeper into the mountains as the group of masked assassins chased after him.


    Whoever sent them after him, they had a clear n behind everything. Not everything could be a coincidence. A master scriber capable of breakingplicated formation structure and doing it silently; and then this female practitioner, who turned out to be capable of flight.


    She was chasing after him, matching his speed, leaving him no space to leave them behind. Not that Gale wanted to.


    Gale was pretty sure she would catch up to him soon, provided he already had trouble keeping up with his diminished ability.


    Abruptly, a few bolts of arrows shot in his direction, leading him to drop into the cover of the forest, as thick branches and their canopies hid him. Gale slowed his pace as his purpose of fleeing the assassin wasplete.


    There was one simple reason he brought the group of gold rankers into the thick wilderness. Yes, the thick ironwood forest was a difficult terrain to battle in, but that wasn''t his reason.


    Gale simply didn''t want to ruin the wheat field, not to mention their fight left the script formations broken, which would be tremendously difficult toplete. Not to mention, if the group was really after Sumei, the fight in Stormhold would be difficult for him.


    That was why he brought them to the mountains, where he could fight them without worrying about anything. Here he could get loose freely, as none of his misfires could damage anything important.


    The masked woman moved down into the forest right after him, but with Gale''s instant eleration, she wasn''t able to keep her eyes on him, not to mention the camouge provided by the thick mists made it even more difficult for her.


    Gale disappeared from her sight as she flew in and out around the thick branches to get back on his track.


    The red demon-masked assassin joined her right after, gliding from one tree to another. He gestured with his fingers to tell her something. Eventually, she moved to another side to search, leaving this area to him.


    Gale was hiding a dozen trees from there. He brought out a couple of small vials of the recovery potion and ingested them one after another without any consideration. They would help him get back a lot of his Qi a lot quicker within a few seconds, more than he was capable of with his circumstances.


    But it would also render his spirit incapable of any natural recovery over the time of the next couple of days, at the very least.


    After done with that, Gale leapt into the air again, using this natural obstruction of mist to conceal himself. But he had enough of running away for now. As the Qi was recovering in his system, he looked for an easier target to open his book.


    Onto one of the Low Gold then.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It had been a long time since he had a real fight, a fight where he was ready to kill. Gale didn''t feel like he missed anything.


    With his second and third fate lock released, Gale moved onto the two figures approaching the thick ironwood forest at their rtively slower speed.


    Gale remained hunched down in the thick mists, waiting. Before they could regroup, he had to decrease their number by at least one.


    With that in mind, Gale pumped up a lot of Qi into his third fate lock in order to increase his speed, while his second fate lock provided him with enough enhancement to handle the super speed.


    The two low gold exchanged nces, finding nothing but thick mist and trees. One of them moved up on the tree to find the others, and at that very moment Gale acted.


    Gale''s body sprang into motion, shooting towards the lone figure on the ground, lightning buzzing on his body and spear. Mist swayed along with his moment, as the low gold finally noticed his approach. But it was already toote.


    Before he could even lift his arms up to defend himself, the Stormsong dug into his chest, drilling through his cloak and chain mill.


    Blood bobbled up in red. The man screamed.


    Gale pushed forth, bursting his opponent''s heart.


    A silence again.


    The other low gold on the tree turned and met Gale''s eyes. Before he could decide anything, Gale withdrew his spear and shot at him, spinning his weapon in a couple of full arcs.


    Gale threw the spear, aiming for his chest. Lightning pulsed through the weapon as it approached the low gold. There wasn''t much distance between them.


    In his blight, the gold ranker could only jump off the tree, as the spear tip missed him by an inch, kissing his cheek, and drawing a slight cut.


    The spear plunged through the ironwood, creating a hole in it to stick to another tree dozens of metres away. Gale shot for the open opponent who was dropping from the tree, recalling his weapon.


    Stormsong dematerialised and formed in Gale''s back as he thrashed a spinning kick into the low gold''s chest. The low gold¡ªcaught off guard¡ªwas sent flying as his body collided against an Ironwood. The tree shook violently, but before it could calm down, another stammering blow hit there.


    Galeunched himself after him, the spearing to his palms with a shake of his shoulder.


    The low gold''s eyes were brimming with fear as he defended himself drawing his palms before him, as they glowed in some superficial fate-lock ability. But before the light could coalescepletely for the ability to release itself, Stormsong drilled into his palm, rendering the Low gold to leave everything and scream.


    Gale wasn''t done. The spear tip dug through the arm to plunge into the masked assassin''s head. Mist drifted and swayed, as Gale found he missed his shot, enough to miss a critical blow into the assassin''s head.


    The spear tip pierced through the ears to dig into the ironwood as the assassin struggled to break free, screaming out of his mind.


    Gale jabbed his right fist into his face mercilessly. The unique sound of a chin breaking could be heard as Gale plunged his fist again in the same spot, executing another critical blow, ramming his elbow into the assassin''s neck.


    Gale proceeded to continue on the ruthless process of brutalising his victim, getting the open chance, but abruptly, goosebumps crawled up on his skin in a danger sign.


    Gale spun, leaving the half-dead low gold, and found the red demon¡ªthe high gold and also the leader of the group¡ªwas onto him, shooting molten liquid fire at him, unafraid that it could kill their partner as well.


    The fire was overbearing, easily raising the temperature to over twelve hundred degrees Celsius. Fire of this calibre would eat through his Qi defence to burn him alive if Gale wasn''t ready for it.


    Although Gale wasn''t ready for it, he had other ways to evade the blow. His left palm chilled in a familiar coldness as he raised it in front of the approaching molten fire.


    A portal opened between them, easily enough to drop a person through it, but not enough to devour all the mes. Gale pushed more Qi into increasing the hole, but he barely had any time in hand.


    The liquid me plunged into the void hole, the centralised, most intense firepower missing Galepletely, devoured by his void lock, but the less intense firepower flung into the half-dead assassin.


    The Guardian emblem provided him with enough defence that Gale wouldn''t burn outright when most of the fire was taken care of. As for the burning indignation that pricked his mind, Gale simply ignored it.


    The molten fire flowed for a could have seconds and then the temperature came down as Gale let out a breath of relief.


    The leader of the assassin was looking at him intensely, but Gale didn''t have a stare to contest with him. He simply didn''t have time for it.


    He spun and created another void hole right on top of the assassin, whose face he devastated a moment ago.


    The surrounding temperature rose again.

 Chapter 219 213 Prelude To The Storm (4)

    The forest was on fire, and it was mostly not Gale''s fault.


    He ain''t the one who came to attack, or cast that me spell. It was that high gold. Gale merely defended it and redirected it to defend himself.


    The man was dead. Gold ranker or not, he was mere charcoal now, burned along with the tree. The molten me didn''t even leave him much time to scream in agony as the fire took him. Still, it wasn''t really a pleasant way to die, or kill someone, but under these circumstances, Gale would take anything.


    The mes spread like wildfire around the surroundings, burning dry or live trees, respectively, as a pungent smell spread in the air. Nothing like the smell of natural burning. It had a dangerous vibe to it.


    "Bastard!" the leader of the crew bellowed, shooting for Gale.


    Gale recalled his spear as it materialised on his back again. He flew away to dodge the red demon-masked man. He was ready to avoid a direct collision and withdrew, but a slender figure engaged him,ing from up in the trees.


    Eventually, they regrouped and surrounded Gale. Although a diminished number, they were still four of them, the strongest four of the gold rankers. One high gold, two mid gold and one low gold.


    "Told you, it''s a grave mistake," Gale said, turning his head around to scan the surroundings and his opponents. His eyes lingered on the only woman in the group¡ªthe one who could fly¡ªshe would be his target for now. After he dealt with her, he would have free rein over the sky. It would be a lot easier.


    The four assassins brandished their weapon, andunched themselves at him, natural energy swirling around them with the boiling temperature. Gale put more fuel to the me.


    He shot a few rounds of fire crystal bombs at the assassin approaching him and flew away. A chain of bombardment reverberated in the surroundings, sadly only doing more damage to nature than the assassins. Still, it sent two of them flying, rendering Gale to have a direction to withdraw.


    Thedy assassin wasn''t in the mood to let him go, not after he killed two of their numbers already. She chased after him, ring her Qi, as skeletal bat wings appeared on her back. Her speed rose, easily contesting Gales, not to mention her movement while on the flight became better as well.


    Gale wouldn''t be able to lose her with sharp turns anymore. Thankfully, she wasn''t the only one keeping her trump card. Gale had one of his own, though his one would be pretty devastating for her, herpanions, and him.


    Gale rose upwards, leaving behind the ck smoke raised from the fire, the woman trailing right after him. He didn''t stop his speed, or change direction, just flew upwards in the most direct way possible.


    Goosebumps crawled upon his skin again as the woman swung her skeletal wings at him from behind.


    Gale only managed to defend by using the Guardian Embelm''s enhancement power to the fullest. Sadly, that wasn''t his only problem, as they shot arrows in his direction, lethal and overwhelmingly fast, enough to damage a gold body.


    Gale cursed under his breath and shoved the sharp wings aside with his spear. He lurched around to avoid the arrows, but he couldn''t evade thedy assassin.


    The woman was one clingy bitch, not leaving his trail for even a nick of a moment. Gale shot her a couple of fire crystal bombs, which once again bought him a neck of a moment to get out of her grasp.


    He flew upwards towards the clouds, swirling his Qi, drawing in more and more, overflowing his system with energy to reach for the gathering clouds.


    The temperature started to get chillier, and even the woman was having trouble flying upwards. Even the arrows lose most of their power to miss their aim.


    At that very moment, Gale released his Trump card, reaching out to connect his Qi with natural energy.


    Gale slowed down, even though he didn''t intend too. He acknowledged this was as far as he could reach in his current ability. Well, it was well around 30000 feet alright.


    Thedy assassin tried to swoop him, noticing he was slowing down. Gale replied to her by gliding to the side and shoving a dropkick to her chest. Her figure was flung away, leaving Gale space to move up.


    He settled himself in the air and reached out to connect with extrinsic Qi resonance.


    "Oi,dy," Gale called after her, gasping for breath. There wasn''t much breathable air in the surroundings, either. "Do you have a death grudge against me or what?"


    The assassin didn''t reply. Her arms transformed into two skeletal swords as she lurched at him again.


    Gale dodged, spinning between her sword moves. "I''m only asking because¡­ this is my first time doing what I am about to do next. I have no fine reason to do it, you know? I''m pretty sure one of us would be dead if I seeded."


    The woman continued in her relentless pursuit, swinging the long bone swords and pointy wings at him.


    "Fine, don''t say I didn''t warn you," Gale muttered as he connected to the stormy cloud with everything he had. "Hopefully, you won''t be in any position to say anything."


    "Noisy," was the only word the woman uttered.


    Then the gathering clouds dropped on them. Thunders moured and lightning flickered around them; thick smokey clouds swirled, bringing an apocalyptic vibe, enough to cause goosebumps on the residents of this town.


    The woman stopped and scanned her surroundings. She lost Gale''s figure in the thick swirling clouds. Thunder bellowed, shaking her heart, and finally, she found a figure in the middle of the storm.


    His body was flickering with blue lightning, eyes glowing in the same glint as well. He eyed her, coldness boring into her figure.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The assassin''s mind chilled. She could easily see her opponent had pulled something out of his depth, as he had to grit his teeth to keep everything in control.


    "I''m not sorry," Gale said in a cold tone. Lightning sparked around him, threateningly, rendering the assassin to drop everything and flee. But it was toote.


    She wasn''t faster than lightning.


    Gale threw all the power he received from tapping into the power of the storm as a frightening amount of lightning crashed into her, killing her instantly.


    Her body turned into charred bits of ash instantly, as only her unique skeletal wings and other fate locks remained unhinged under the lightning.


    Sadly, Gale had no time, energy, or way to put them into his collection.


    Thunder boomed in the surroundings and Gale had to let go of his Intent of extrinsic Qi resonance, feeling the burn in his chest.


    "Well, that went better than I imagined," he muttered.


    But it appeared, he was too early to celebrate, as in the very next moment he lost control of his flight, free-falling from the sky.


    The storm hadn''t stopped, though. It started showering heavily the moment he dropped his dominion over it, but that wasn''t his problem at that moment.


    Gale tried to re-establish his intent on using the wind Qi. Thankfully, he had some Qi left in his body, just hard to grasp them when he was busy falling; when the lighting did a number on him, too.


    On top of that, something hard and cold struck him from the top. It was harder than the raindrops. Icefall. No kes of snow, but small chunks of ice were falling from the sky under the booming thunder.


    Perhaps he influenced the icefall somehow, but this was good as well. At least the fire would be put off with this.


    But Gale wouldn''t have any of it, unless hended safely.


    20000 feet.


    He clung onto Stormsong tightly, not letting it dematerialise, as that would make his situation even harder. He dropped all his power on the other fate lock and only focused on casting the wind Qi out.


    14000 feet.


    Gale barely managed to let out some strands of wind Qi, which barely did anything. Moreover, he was losing most of it before he could grasp it.


    9000 feet.


    Gale barely clinging to consciousness, when a chillness struck his head as his mind wide awoke, getting back his control over the Qi.


    4000 feet.


    Gale didn''t release any wind Qi, but he wasn''t that worried at all. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the mountains.


    3000 feet.


    It was showering rain properly now, though still with small chunks of ice mixed with them. Gale released the wind Qi as a sudden upward thrust downwards, rendering him through a tearing indignation, but he safely escaped a free-fall this way.


    Gale slowed down as he flew down into the forest. He was about to swing his way to the north when abruptly an arrow came out of nowhere and struck him in his back.


    This time there was no warming, no alert from his supernatural intuition. The arrow simply plunged into his back as Gale fell.


    His vision cked out for a few seconds as the chill came back to him, giving him the extra bit of lucidity needed to keep his rity.


    Gale wasn''t sure what had happened, but he found, looking at himself as four fellows surrounded him. Three familiar, one with a long bow. One of them were hiding from the beginning. Gale could only swallow in regret now.


    He was on the ground, on his knees, with the arrow struck at his body. Three of them walked over, closer to him as if preparing for the capital punishment.


    "This is for the A''caen!"

 Chapter 220 214 Prelude To The Storm (5)

    "This is for the A''caen!"


    Gale''s mind cleared with that announcement. He was about to yell at them after they called out their reasoning for attacking him, but he stopped himself, noticing the weirdness of the situation.


    How could he have an overview of the assassin encircling him and watch himself squirm on the ground? No, it wasn''t his soul fishing out of his body, but something more mundane andprehensible, though that didn''t mean it wasn''t outrageous.


    [Don''t just stand there,] a voice transmitted to his head. Galeprehended who the voice belonged to at once. Sumei. She hadn''t stayed where he left her, but ran up here to help him.


    Gale turned his head around as if to find her, but the only thing he got was another urging phrase from her. [Come on, they won''t be fooled for much longer.]


    Then he finally saw her figure in the cover of the thick mist on his back. The red demon-masked leader was still monologuing, standing tall, along with his three otherpanions, telling the illusion how grave of a mistake he did for killing their A''caen.


    Gale crept away from there to Sumei. The rain and their fight caused enough disarray for none of them to notice the little disturbance he caused, as they were still busy with his illusion.


    The red demon leader couldn''t just stop himself from monologuing, huh? If only he was a little more efficient in his job, Gale wouldn''t have got this chance. That reminded him. How the hell did they find out his tracks so easily and quickly? He guessed it was a contemtion of another time.


    He joined Sumei, almost flying to her.


    "What are you doing here?" Gale asked with a groan, reaching her.


    "I think that should be obvious," the ebony-haired woman said, her voice soft and cool, "I''m saving you. Quick, we need to leave, they. . ."


    Her voice trailed off as the red demon assassin moured in curses and indignation, finding his sword only plugged into an illusion.


    "Search, scour the entire mountain range if you have to," the leader screamed at his underlings. "We have to find him at all costs."


    Gale''s mind was chilled. Exchanging a look with Sumei, he caught her with both arms and started running. He released his third fate look and flew up at a rtively slower speed, considering what he got through so far.


    When he was busy escaping, Sumei wasn''t idle, either. Somehow the woman managed to fool a group of gold rankers when they weren''t alert about her presence. The second time, it wouldn''t be that easy, yet she managed to do it again.


    A few illusionary figures of Gale fleeing away appeared in all directions of the assassins, leading them to be confused over his real track. The Archer among them shot his arrow at the realistic illusion, but Sumei still controlled the illusions. Her masterful control made the illusionary Gale to dodge the arrow.


    Gale merely noticed a glimpse of her illusions, but he waspletely bbergasted. There was no way she was a nameless iron ranker. It was literally impossible for iron rankers to have this type of control or expertise to fool gold rankers.


    The surrounding mist and rain provided enough camouge, but they made her job to make the illusion realistic even harder as well.


    "Who are you really?"


    "You don''t think I should be the one to ask that question?" Sumei said, her voice grew hard with everything she had to do. "Why are they after you?"


    "That. . ." Gale considered the right choice of words. "I might have killed their Dog Prince. Wait, calling that fucker dog is demeaning to Vale and all the other dogs."


    "Did you do it or not?"


    "It was an ident," Gale groaned. "Although the only remorse I had was that it was only an ident. That fucker deserved a spear to his gut and a slow death."


    Sumei croaked something iprehensible as he carried her. After a while, she pointed to him the cover of many boulders. Gale understood and carried her three to sit under the cover of the boulders.


    "I need to stay closer to manipte the illusions. This much distance was already stretching it," Sumeimented as she sat t against the boulder. Next, she cast another spell as a veil dropped, cascading thempletely. It hid them from the outside view altogether, though the rain made it difficult for her to hold on to it for longer. Or to be a perfect veil.


    Still, they wouldn''t be noticed just by gazes.


    "Useful skills," Gale praised. He didn''t bother to remove the arrow from his back, as it would need special care after that.


    "It''s only good at running away and hiding," Sumei said, taking the praise. Unlike Gale, who overestimated what he could endure every time he was under pressure, she had no illusions of her spirit art mastery. "Anyway, this will only provide shelter for a couple of minutes. They will eventually find us."


    Gale let out a breath, finding nothing wrong with her reasoning.


    Four people: one high gold, two mid gold and one low gold. Gale was pretty sure he still had reserves to deal with lower rankers. But the high gold would have been a damnable problem even if he was alone, and a real menace now that he had three others to assist him.


    They wouldn''t make the same mistake against him that easily now, after losing three of their numbers.


    Even if he somehow managed to deal with the counterparts, he would be drained and would be at the mercy of the high gold. Well, they would have had him already if not for Sumei.


    Well, she saved him, but by doing so, she got herself involved as well.


    "Think quick, we don''t have much time," Sumei urged him. She was shuddering against the boulder, barely keeping the veil intact at this moment.


    "I do have a n," Gale said, bringing out a couple more vials to ingest them first. They were healing potions to soothe the burning inside his channels. They gave a cool and soothing vibe to his burning channels instantly.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale was pretty sure the potions wouldn''t be able to do the same another time. Not when he intended to repeat what he did.


    "A n," Sumei repeated, "What is it?"


    "You stay here, while I''ll go and kill those madafakas."


    Sumei shot him a t look. "Really?"


    "Well, that was the gist of it," Gale said, "But I do intend to kill them all."


    "And how are you going to do it?" Sumei asked, biting her lower lip.


    Gale didn''t answer, but looked upwards at the booming clouds and lightning.


    "I guess I have to do the unthinkable again," Gale said, and turned to face her again. "Did you see how I killed that woman in the sky?"


    Sumei stared at him, her expression incredulous.


    "Of course, you haven''t. It was high up in the air, in the clouds," Gale said. "The point is, I can tap into the power of the storm. . ."


    "I''m pretty sure there''s supposed to be a big but after that sentence," Sumei narrowed her eyes.


    "You have a big butt," Gale snickered.


    Sumei didn''tugh, only shot him a judgemental look.


    "Too early?" Gale asked and continued, without waiting for a reply from her.


    "Yes," he sighed, "the power will be just as devastating for me as it would be for my enemies and possibly to those who aren''t even my enemies. It can literally melt me from the inside if I can''t control it."


    "And you''re still saying this is a n?" Sumei red at him. "This sound much more like a death wish than a n if you ask me."


    "Well," Gale had no better words to offer her. He brought a golden bead out of his void lock. "It is a n with this."


    Sumei frowned at the golden bead in his hand. It had aplicated runic pattern in it, easy to notice it was something valuable.


    "This is a fate lock," Gale said. "Ites from the Celestial Radiance, carved out by one of the finest artisans alive. Basically, it has tremendous healing power. I was saving this to let it be my fourth fate lock, but I guess the time hase."


    Sumei just stared at him, lost for words.


    "Yeah, I know it''s a sketchy n," Gale said. "You don''t have to give me that look."


    "Don''t you have anything better?" Sumei asked, her voice pleading.


    Gale shrugged as he stood up. "Leave quickly once I go to confront them. This ce wouldn''t get safer until I''m done with this."


    Gale was ready to shoot out of her veil when she called after him, "Gale, wait."


    Gale did and turned his head to meet her gaze. Sumei stood up and hugged him tightly, her face clinging to his chest.


    "Don''t die, please," she said with all her emotions.


    "I won''t." Gale embraced her, his palms stroking her back to reach her lower body. "Huh, you do have a big butt."


    Without waiting for her reply, he shot out, leaving her there.


    With the fate lock of the celestial in hand, he didn''t proceed to bond with it. There was no time to do so. Besides, it would be more useful if he used it after calling the storm.


    Gale flew, not doing anything to hide his track. The assassins easily noticed him as the red demon chased after him immediately.


    Gale stopped, standing on a thick branch of ironwood. "I have a question. Mind answering me that?"


    He found no emotions from the demon-masked fellow, other than the killing intent he was radiating.


    "Why bother to go such length for that cunt?"

 Chapter 221 Interlude: Prophesy Of The Fall

    Ai heard the mour of thunder as she woke up from a vision. She breathed heavily as cold sweat soaked her clothes. Darkness clouded her vision, but that was nothing new, being blind and all.


    But with the fright she got, she couldn''t even figure out the general direction of her aura.


    Grasping, she reached for the water on the side of her table. The ss fell before she could even clutch it, reminding her that she had unconsciously burned a good amount of her Fortune in that dream.


    Ai would have to spend some time in clumsiness or bad luck to get her bnce of Fortune back. But that wasn''t her concern, for now, considering the disaster that was about to hit the little town of Wayshire.


    ''Is this the reason I''m here?'' she wondered.


    "Sister Fen," Ai called, bellowing at the top of her lungs. "Sister Fen, please, it''s an emergency."


    The handsome circus crew leader was sleeping in the next section of the tent, yet Ai had to yell out of her mind to get a response.


    "What is it, Little Witch?" Fen asked, scurrying into her tent, wide awake from sleep. Fen was still rubbing her eyes, as her sight adjusted to the light.


    "Sister Fen, I finally understood why Master told me toe to this town," Ai said.


    Fen perked up her brows. "So you finally have a clue on what you have to do to get your breakthrough?"


    "I don''t know about that, but I have to try," Ai said. "If what I interpreted in from the vision was true, then I fear, I fear. . ."


    "Stop stuttering, girl," Fen said, sping her arms. "Tell me straight."


    "I think the whole town would be destroyed if I. . . if we don''t act quickly."


    "What did you really see?" Fen asked, her expression changing.


    Fen''s excitement about losing the little witch off her shoulder vanished as a worried expression crept to her face, knowing full well what kind of shit oracle could pull her in.


    Fen waspletely aware of the blind girl''s identity. Fen had the bad luck of owing something to Ai''s master, the Grand Oracle Senaire of the First Temple. As far as she was aware, there could be nothing worse than owing something to an oracle, because they would know how to use you to the fullest.


    That was how Fen ended up with the blind girl. At first, Fen thought the grand oracle was merely punishing her disciple for something after she asked her to let Ai join their crew and make her do anything she pleased.


    Fen had no familiarity with Ai before that, and wasn''t even reminded that the girl was blind at first. Thankfully, the girl was nothing like that old crone, which led Fen to have some sympathy for the Little Witch.


    But as always, the purpose of these oracles was moreplicated than what she could even imagine.


    "What did you actually see?" Fen couldn''t help but ask.


    Ai didn''t answer for a while, considering the right words to describe her vision.


    "The one who bears the cmity stands alone against the storm,


    lost and devastated, as he plunges the world into chaos.


    May he bond, or may he not,


    The old god awaits in her prison, abandoning her tears.


    Lady of Dreams, Weaver of Horror, will stir the world in her nightmare.


    Glory to the Celestial, glory to the Light,


    Visage of Light may learn the truth toote.


    Old gods'' greed darkens everynd, seeks to end light.


    Weep for the light, weep for your salvation,


    Let tears stream for the Maiden of Sun.


    The one who unleashes Cmity, opens the gate to Paradise--


    Chosen of the Protector, Rider of the Storm,


    Stained by the cardinal sin, too heavy to bear.


    Twice he is born, twice he will die.


    Once the Storm, all remembrance lost,


    Twice the Brightest Star, for all the fates he bears."


    A sharp pain assaulted Ai''s mind as she copsed to the ground, finishing interpreting her vision. These words came right into her head as she weaved through the pattern of fate.


    Fen was quick to help as the blind girl wept in her embrace.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Ai had unconsciously gone deeper into reading the strings of fate and used up all her reserves of Fortune, rendering her no better than a handicapped woman.


    "Ai, are you going to be alright?" Fen asked, checking on the blind girl. She barely understood a rat''s tail about the cmity, old gods or anything, but Fen was too old and experienced to dismiss an oracle''s word too lightly.


    "I''ll be fine," Ai said, wiping her tears and nose. "Quick, we have to leave."


    "Where?"


    "To the Wang''s Inn, and then to the storm."


    ***


    Han Shitian looked at the storm brewing in the mountains with aplicated look in his eyes. His wife stood next to him, unspoken as always, with a worried look on her face. Thankfully, his foolish son wasn''t here, probably busy with his cousin.


    The storm didn''t seem like it would stop any time soon, as it was only growing in momentum.


    "And you''re still confident about the men you send after him?" Han Shitian asked, turning his head to the foreign man.


    The foreign man was anky figure, but wasn''t much of a fighter, as far as the air he radiated. He carried himself with ease and grace, his movements fluid and controlled, and he had a natural charm that drew people to him.. He had a chiselled jawline and piercing blue eyes that seemed to take in everything around him.


    He introduced himself as Iskander, the personal interpreter and adviser of the Al''Caizer of the southernnds.


    "Dior knows what he''s to do," thenky foreigner, Iskander, said. His voice was smooth and melodic, effortlessly switching betweennguages with a fluency that was truly impressive.


    Iskander seemed to know their dialect and ent better than some of them. Thankfully, his manner was confident, but not arrogant.


    "He never fails. Dior will bring back that Scourge. Dead or alive and present to the Al''Caizer."


    Han Shitian narrowed his eyes. Of course, he had seen Dior this man was talking about. Although masked in a red demon face, Han Shitian had felt the rming threat that man represented when he met for the first time. He was like the creeping death in human skin.


    Han Shitian was a mid-gold, and quite proud of that strength, but he could pretty easily guess he wouldn''tst a couple of blows from Dior, leading him to reconsider if his decision was right or wrong.


    He had no clue the waste-picking southerners had grown this much in strength. Thankfully, they were too busy disputing with one another toe after othernds. Although powerful, nobody still managed to unite the entirety of the southernnd.


    Han Shitian didn''t know much about their custom, only knew there were multiply numbers of Al''Caizer in the wastnd, five or six in most times, each one was after the other necks. He merely researched for the name he heard spoken from that thief''s mouth and tried to see if they could work under a mutual goal.


    Turns out they could. The Al''Caizer and his people hated Gale from the bottom of their hearts. That bastard had killed the Al''Caizer''s first-born son, like he was after Han Xiao.


    Han Shitian merely provided some bit of information about his presence, and they had deported a heavy force of Gold rankers to deal with it.


    "Don''t you worry, Master Shitian," Iskander said with a smile, as a loud boom thundered after his voice. "Dior will bring back your sword as well as that bastard, alive or his severed head. That is my word to you."


    ***


    Wang Li paced around thewn, a worried expression on her face. She had been like that since Xiaolin departed with Vale.


    Her eyes stuck to the storm brewing in the mountains, praying in her heart that everyone woulde out safely.


    As she was pacing around, she heard some urging noise in the inn, causing her to frown.


    She turned her head and found Sun Ziang shooting out with a couple moredies, followed by a creepy gothic figure¡ªshe wasn''t aware was living in her inn.


    But Wang Li ignored that quickly, hearing something along the lines of the group leaving for the storms in the mountains.


    Wang Li''s heart skipped a beat as she scurried after them.


    "What is happening?" Wang Li asked.


    Sun Ziang stopped and turned his head to look up at her. Finding him halting, the other two unfamiliar women¡ªone a sturdy-looking woman, while the other seemed to be blind¡ªstopped as well. As for the creepy gothic figure, it stood like the visage of darkness, unconcerned and unbothered.


    "It''s about Gale and the storm brewing in the mountains," Sun Ziang said. "Cousin, you should be aware my primary job ofing in this town was the mountain. There''s something eerie about that ce." he then pointed to the blind girl. "Thisdy here is an apprentice oracle, and seen visions of. . . Greater devastation if we didn''t stop it."


    "Linlin has gone there with Vale," Wang Li cried, "sensing their Master in danger."


    "I''ll do my best to help them out of the danger," Sun Ziang said fairly and was about to leave.


    "Can Ie with you?" Wang Li said before thinking. She was about to decline, knowing she would merely be a burden to them, but before she could do so, the blind girl opened her lips.


    "Yes, your presence will be helpful."


    ___________


    It take me about an hour to write the prophecy, you can guess how important that thing is for the story.

 Chapter 222 215 Left Hand Of Calamity (1)

    The red demon-masked assassin was full of killing intent, tantly showing that he was after Gale''s blood.


    Gale dodged the assassin''s attacks and kept his distance while his threepanions regrouped. With this, Gale''s requirements were met, as he proceeded to unleash the storm. He knew he could only do this onest time and was determined to make the most of it when all those who came for him regrouped.


    As the storm intensified, Gale did not need to reach for the sky to tap into its power. He flew from one tree to another, his arms wide, emitting most of his Qi, trying to connect with the natural disaster.


    He released the power of Stormsongpletely, utilising themon ground of power to draw on its energy to intensify the storm.


    The assassin noticed the changes in the air around him and pursued Gale, relentlessly, showering him with arrows and violent abilities. Suddenly, the red demon appeared from nowhere and faced Gale from the opposite direction.


    He swung his bastard sword at Gale, who barely blocked it with his spear, and growled at him. The red demon then prepared to shoot molten liquid mes at Gale from point-nk range.


    Gale realised that the assassin was physically stronger than him and had greater ess to Qi, leaving him with only one option - the Void Lock. In his heightened state, unlocking the power of one fate lock to focus back on another was easier, but Gale was unsure if he could do it in time.


    The hole had barely formed, fluctuating with spatial tears in the air, when the beam of liquid fire assaulted Gale from the red demon. All of its power poured into the hole, causing it to bepletely unstable.


    "Oh boy," Gale swore.


    Gale deliberately lost his connection with the Void Lock and established a better connection with Guardian Emblem, empowering his body to the limit. The red demon was still pouring out everything to break the hole, unaware of the devastation it could cause.


    Gale had prior experience with a void lock overflowing, which was probably why he managed to keep his head on his neck when the hole in reality exploded.


    The overwhelming spatial wave spattered the mountain, sending Gale and the red demon flying at a tremendous pace. Even the other assassins and wild animals within a few thousand paces radius were flung away.


    Thick, tall trees that stood for decades copsed under the spatial wave, creating another wave of a quake.


    Thunder boomed again, and the storm continued as if the little interlude only increased its intensity. Gale crashed into a huge ironwood tree, copsing it in the process. His connection to the Guardian Emblem was barely intact, rendering him in better shape than most people did .


    His mind wailed in a loud thumping noise, which he wasn''t aware, if it was his heartbeat or the earth quaking.


    Then his mind throbbed with a loud beeping noise, which he wasn''t sure if it was his heartbeat or the earth quaking. He shook his head violently to get rid of the noise, and when it slowed down, he thumped his palms against his ears and stood up, supporting himself on the copsed tree.


    He gazed up at the sky, and then back at the assassin, who was in a worse state than he was, but that didn''t mean much. He knew that with gold body reinforcements, they would be back to cause more trouble for him in no time.


    Gale let go of his other fate lock and focused entirely on Stormsong, who could barely stand and was leaning against the copsed tree.


    Something had changed in the surroundings after the spatial quake, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. It wasn''t just the instability in the spatial reality that he could easily sense, but something less apparent.


    However, he didn''t have time to contemte this as the group of assassins, led by their red demon leader, had already got back on their feet.


    Gale growled again and blinked, only to find over a dozen illusions of himself surrounding him. He knew they were all illusions, but he couldn''t turn his head to find Sumei. The girl was probably hiding, veiled somewhere nearby.


    Gale felt an urge to kiss her for what she had done for him right at this moment, but he had to deal with the assassins first.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Vale and Xiaolin were approaching the mountains. They have left Stormhold a few minutes ago. Xiaolin still remained on top of Vale, riding him as he grew almost twice in size and took on a more predatory look.


    Xiaolin couldn''t feel her master''s presence through their bond and wondered if Gale had deliberately blocked it or was in a terrible condition.


    However, Vale could sense his presence, although she didn''t know how strong it was.


    "WOOF!"


    Suddenly, Vale growled violently, causing Xiaolin to peek around and look for any rming signs. Before she could react, both of them were sent flying backwards andnded on the ground.


    Xiaolin let out a scream as her body copsed on the ground, feeling her ribs cracking and her muscles spasming. Vale was in a simr situation as well, but his body was far superior to hers, as he could easily shrug off all the damage he got from that.


    Xiaolin wailed and gritted her teeth. She surged her Qi, enabling herself to the minor healing ability she possessed. Still, she had no power to stand back up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Her vision was red, her mind filled with pain and the wailing of Qi. However, she hadn''t missed the golden light shooting over their head.


    ***


    Gale called upon the lightning from the storm, running around along with all the other illusions, causing the assassins lots to mistake in their attack.


    However, that changed when lightning crashed into Gale''s spear, as an overwhelming amount of power surged through him. All the surrounding illusions vanished, but the assassins didn''t approach him, wary of the lighting surging through his body.


    Gale blinked his eyes, which glinted in the power of lightning. His spear was chargedpletely with the lightning''s power, almost breaking out of his control.


    Gale''s clothes were already tattered, the arrow still plunged into his back, but he was feeling no pain anymore.


    He couldn''t describe his feeling in words, the overwhelming amount of power that was surging through his him. He needed to use them shortly, or. . .


    Gale''s mind nked as he proceeded to do his work. His figure bolted at the red demon leader, swinging the lightning spear for his head.


    Gale didn''t care how the assassin leader blocked it with his huge sword. He literally plunged forth, lighting through Stormsong, sending him flying instantly.


    There were three more in the vicinity. Gale turned to look at them.


    "Attack!" the mid gold screamed, as all three of them charged towards Gale with their weapons drawn.


    Gale spun around, his spear creating a vortex of lightning that deflected their attacks. The force of the lightning sent them all flying backwards. Before they could regain their footing, Gale continued on with his assault.


    Gale charged towards them with his spear raised high. He unleashed a series of lightning strikes that zapped and stunned the assassins, leaving them disoriented and vulnerable. And dead.


    One dead, two heavily injured.


    He followed up with a swift strike, plunging his spear into the chest of one of the injured, lessening the number by one more.


    Gale was ready to go for thest one of the trio, but Red demon rejoined, rendering the injured mid-gold to dodge his attack and swung his sword at Gale''s exposed nk.


    Gale''s power was cracking out, but he found no limit to the connections he made to the storm. He drew in more than another thunderous lightning, crashed into him, and sent the two assassins flying.


    They were injured, but not dead. The red demon was far from wounding up dead.


    The lighting cleared and Gale saw the two assassins, both wide open. Gale spun his spear, taking his first step towards the assassins.


    The mid-gold couldn''t hold back anymore. He rolled on the ground to stand back again. But he didn''t proceed on attacking anymore. Scared out of his mind, the mid-gold assassin turned his direction and left, not looking back.


    The red demon was still growing in intensity, as if he didn''t care about his feelingpanion. Gale, on the other hand, had the same thought in mind; he could all the time look for the mid gold after he took care of this menace.


    Still, Gale reacted quickly, parrying the attack with his spear and counter-attacking with a bolt of lightning that sent the assassin flying backwards.


    Gale swirled his power, preparing to burn the existence of this red demon out of reality. While his opponent seemed to have the exact thought in mind, as his skin started to swell in red burning. The red demon prepared for onest attack just like Gale; the distance between them was barely twenty yards.


    Gale screamed, and so did the red demon, Dior.


    Swinging his spear, he crashed out of all his lightning towards the heavy sword-wielding demonic warrior. Dior was sent flying, all the lighting crashed into his body, but in hindsight he managed toplete his casting as the overwhelming waves of liquid molten me crashed into Gale as well, flinging him away.


    Gale''s clothes shredded to nothing, his body battered, but he managed tond victorious, using his third fate lock.


    Atst, victory was within his grasp. He looked around at the carnage he had caused, feeling a sense of emptiness growing inside of him.


    Next, he copsed onto the ground, still conscious to find it wasn''t nearly the end of it.

 Chapter 223 216 Left Hand Of Calamity (2)

    Gale was in pain, but that was simply a word in his mind. He was restless on the ground, as he found something ominous growing about him.


    The storm hadn''t ceased after he revoked his control over it, and now it was creating a swirling whirlpool of ck clouds around the whole wild forest.


    Before, Gale wasn''t aware of what he was feeling wrong, but now he could glimpse a little of the shift urring around there.


    Somehow, the natural Qi density of the region rose, as if a volcano erupted after a millennia''s long sleep. Gale wasn''t sure if his involvement was the trigger, but he was pretty sure he would have to leave this as soon as possible if he wanted to live.


    He was about to look out for Sumei when her full figure came into his sight. She appeared lonely, staring at the tallest peak of the mountain.


    "An age gone," Sumei mumbled, "another yet toe. . ."


    Her voice trailed off as she finally turned to face him. Gale was in no position to call her, but she understood his situation and crept quickly to his rescue.


    Sumei was just proceeding to help him up, but both of their actions stopped as something else caught their attention.


    "All the forsaken gods," Gale cursed under his breath as his eyes drew towards the savagely mangled figure approaching him with hunched dignity.


    Although the red demon mask on his face was no more, Gale could easily conclude it was it the leader of the assassins, still alive. Half of his body was burned in ck, battered to no point of recovery, while the other half seemed to have taken no damage, as red veins bulging on the good portion.


    His eyes werepletely red, out of control. He didn''t care about the growing storm, or the shift happening in the surroundings. He only wanted blood. Gale''s blood.


    The savage man seemed to have grown half a head taller, even in his hunched position, eyes locked on Gale''s sorry figure on the ground. He had no weapon with him, but with the air he was radiating, it didn''t seem like he would need any.


    "Sumei, leave," Gale croaked.


    Sumei acted as if she hadn''t heard anything, ready to take action. However, before she could do so, a golden light crashed into the half-mangled assassin leader, sending him flying dozens of metres away, out of their sight.


    A new figure stood in his ce, slender, with a pair of wide golden wings spread about her back, shimmering in brilliant gold, much like her wavy hair, swaying even in heavy rain.


    A halo of light seemed to hold the angelic figure as she stared at Gale, worry creeping into her picturesque exterior.


    "Didn''t think you still keep the knack of getting into trouble," the angelic woman said, as she stepped forward.


    "Maya," Gale croaked, more relieved than he sounded.


    Maya, Gale''s senior apprentice sister, smiled helplessly as she was about to help him, but her eyes darted to Gale''s ankle.


    "Gale, what happened to the Spirit Suppressing Anklet?" Maya drew closer immediately, her mind buzzing with the fear that came true.


    "What are you talking about?" Gale said, drawing his sight to his ankle, where the Anklet was supposed to be, suppressing the corruption. "It was right here. . ."


    Gale''s voice trailed off,pletely lost as he found no anklet in his leg, only bulging ck veins that moved up to his thigh and were growing still.


    "What?! When did this. . .?!" Gale waspletely lost, as he couldn''t even perceive when it was broken. It was merely yesterday he saw the anklet clutched to his ankle, but now. . .


    Was it during the battle? But Gale wasn''t that irresponsible to not notice such a dire artifact vanishing off his ankle.


    "Sumei," Gale called, turning his head to look at her, "are you. . . Sumei?!"


    Gale found no one around him, other than Maya. Sumei, who helped him throughout thest segment of the battle, was no longer there. Gale hadn''t even noticed her presence vanish, as if she was merely a figment of his imagination.


    No, that couldn''t be true.


    Gale groaned, clutching his head as a dark realisation dawned on him.


    "Gale, what are you talking about?" Maya asked, her voice filled with terror. "Tell me, do recurring nightmares havoc your dreams? Gale, you have to. . ."


    "NO!" Gale screamed, but did not answer her question. He couldn''t hear Maya anymore, as tears filled his eyes.


    "I guess this is about time now," a familiar voice said in his mind, and Gale''s world tilted.


    The next moment, a sharp pain assaulted his brain, and Gale fell unconscious.


    ***


    Fear crept to Wang Li''s face as their carriage drew closer to the storm. The Iron horses were pulling the carriage at a tremendous pace, enough to cause a stomach lurch. Wang Li remained in silence, losing herself, praying for Gale, Xiaolin and Vale.


    The Oracle apprentice couldn''t provide her with any reassuring answers, something about over-drafting her fortune. The blind girl wasn''t calm at all, as most oracles were taught to be. She was asking about the shifting in the surroundings and the storm in quick sessions.


    On the other hand, Sun Ziang had brought out his new Longread¡ªhe bought from Gale¡ªout of his spatial storage device, and was messaging someone from the upper echelon of his n.


    As for the creepydy, who didn''t bother to introduce herself as Twilight, was running the carriage. Apparently, she had prior involvement with Gale, so Wang Li figured she could trust her even with that ghostly gothic appearance.


    The storm was crashing down with every moment, the thunder causing goosebumps to crawl down her skin. Wang Li had been in this town for a longer period, but had experienced or heard of a storm of this calibre.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    After a couple of minutes of travel, the horses crashed into an abrupt break.


    "We can''t go further on the carriage," Sun Ziang said, peeking through the carriage window on his rear. He stored the bulkymunication device inside his spatial storage, as everyone got out of the carriage one by one.


    Wang Li found herself right before Stormhold, which seemed to have a different look altogether, with the storm brewing all over.


    "Cousin," Sun Ziang addressed her after he judged the intensity of the storm. "I don''t feel it is a sound decision for you to proceed further."


    "But," began Wang Li.


    "I''m saying this considering everyone''s safety," Sun Ziang said and turned his head to look at the blind girl. "And the same is true for you, Honoured Ai."


    "Please, feel free to address me directly with my name," Ai said. "As for your request. . ."


    Ai sighed, finding nothing to deny that. She was woefully weak, not to mention that she would be able to get away with things when her Fortune was all drained.


    "I guess I have no other way," she muttered, and turned to face Wang Li, somehow. "Come on, our duty isn''t to dive into the storm."


    Wang Li still wasn''t ready to leave everything to them, even though she had no strength of her own to proceed.


    Abruptly, something pulsed through the air, shaking everyone''s position as a high dome of script formation surrounding Stormhold lit up.


    Wang Li and Ai had copsed onto the ground, even though the defence formation of the farnd stopped most of the quake from hitting her.


    "What was that?" Fen asked, her eyes peering far into the storm. "It didn''t feel like something remotely to a storm."


    "Spatial undtion," Sun Ziang answered, his voice growing hard.


    "What can be the cause of that?" Wang Li asked,pletely lost even after her cousin''s answer.


    "It is a greater disturbance than the storm," Sun Ziangmented. "Which also reminded me, we can''t wait here. Come on."


    The others were ready to agree when Fen broke into uncertainty, again, pointing at the sky.


    "What is that?" she was pointed towards a ray of golden light, shooting for the centre of the storm.


    "An Angel?" Sun Ziang said. His superior eyes still weren''t enough to give him a clear vision.


    "Maiden of the Sun," Ai answered from the ground, her shoulder slumped, expression growing even more ominous.


    ***


    When Vale led her to her master, Xiaolin found everything was already done. Her master copsed on the ground while an otherworldly woman checking on him, crouched next to his foot.


    "Master!" Xiaolin squeaked, dropping off Vale to literally crawl to her master. Vale came to the rescue as well, quickly licking Gale''s troubled-looking, unconscious face.


    "Vale," the golden-haired angel called, lifting her head from Gale''s leg to look at the hound. Her eyes drew towards the other golden-haired maiden clinging to Gale. "And you are?"


    "You''re Maya," Xiaolin didn''t answer the question, and uttered her name, even though she''d seen Maya in her life. "What happened to Master?"


    "Master?" Maya arched an eyebrow and quickly made sense of their rtionship. Then she remembered the corruption she was treating. "Quickly, ''Move away''. You wouldn''t want to get afflicted by that."


    Even though Xiaolin didn''t want to go even an inch away, she found herself moving away a few paces away, as if pulled by an invisible force of her voice.


    Xiaolin squeaked.


    "It is for your own good," Maya told her, getting back to her treatment.


    "But what about master?"


    "I can barely suppress this," Maya said with a sigh. "As for what he''s going through, that''spletely out of our hands."


    "What do you--"


    Xiaolin couldn''tplete her sentence as a sudden quake hit the mountain, rendering her to copse on the ground again.


    "Something very peculiar is happening in this region. Quick, get on your feet, you have to leave."


    _______


    All hell broke loose. . .

 Chapter 224 217 Left Hand Of Calamity (3)

    ?


    The room is softly lit with dim light, casting a soothing glow throughout the space as the mild sound of a television reverberated.


    In the centre of the room, a man sat on afortable couch. Despite the soft cushions and nkets, he was sitting ufortably with his head between his knees, eyes glued to the t-screen of the TV, ying old cartoons.


    The room was adorned with vintage decor, giving it a nostalgic and timeless feel. A bookshelf sits in one corner of the room, filled with ssic novels. A cosy armchair was ced nearby, which seemed to be missing a person to sit in.


    The man''s eyes somehow remained locked on the screen of the TV and vacant at the same time. Colourful lights shed on his face, asughter and cheers from different cartoon characters reverted throughout the room.


    The man showed no reaction, not until he heard her voice.


    "This is already the third time we are watching this episode," the woman said, "can''t we watch something else, Gale?"


    Gale kept his eyes locked onto the screen of the television, though he was aware someone else was sitting alongside him on the cough, albeit in a morefortable posture than him.


    "Hehe, the little mouse is so cunning," the womanmented, watching the cartoon, "the cat has no chance."


    Gale kept hisposure, trying to ignore her as his mind moved back to chaos.


    "I don''t think you like the show, right? Gale?"


    Abruptly, the television was turned off and all the noise ceased from the room.


    Gale turned his head to face the woman, his expression splitting, full of unbridled emotions.


    "I watched you die," Gale said in a cracked voice. "I . . ."


    The woman faced him, her expression was a cold mask, hardly resembling the woman he knew.  The woman he fell in love with.


    "Do you remember what I asked of you?" Saarya asked. ". . . On our second meeting?"


    Gale stared at her countenance as the surroundings shifted. He was sitting on the ground now, facing Saarya, in the old quarter of the underground mine of his ve days.


    The imagery was exactly like the day Saarya epted to teach him spirit arts, the exact day a little hope was kindled in his awful life.


    "Why?" Gale growled.


    Gale remembered what she asked of him at that time, but Saarya reiterated now, reminding him again:


    "You must not trust me."


    Gale closed his face with his palms, pressing hard, bowing down onto the ground.


    "Why?" he growled with the question again.


    "Because I needed you," Saarya answered, "and I still need you, but you aren''t ready."


    Saarya looked at him with eyes that really seemed alien and ancient to him.


    "The time is a bit earlier than I hoped to make this introduction," Saarya continued as she stood up. "But I''m sure, you won''t disappoint me. I have faith in you."


    Gale growled at her, indignation growing as his eyes cracked into tears.


    Saarya shook her head in disapproval, finding him breaking. "I always admired your intensity," she said, "your ability to recognise fact and reality, but you''re disappointing me now.


    "You are still with the notion that all this is a lie. I am dead in this pit, trying to save you. But you wanted to believe me, and I hope you still can, even though the wretched way I took. How I yed you for all these years!"


    "Why did you do it?" Gale asked, lifting his head to meet her gaze, tears dripping down from his eyes.


    The surroundings changed yet again, and Gale found himself sitting on the open veranda of Wang''s Inn this time. The sun was bright in the sky, flowers blossoming on thewn, their fragrance filling his mind. But nothing brought him any joy or calmed his restlessness.


    A woman appeared next to him, sitting with her long legs free on the wooden floor. Her appearance has changed since thest time, from the angelic beauty in human skin to a more earthy woman in her early years of adulthood. Sumei.


    "Will you believe me if I say I have no other way?" Sumei asked.


    Gale locked eyes with her, recognising the unfamiliarity, but even still he wanted to believe her, wanted to do nothing but hold her in his embrace, for all the time he missed her, remorse for her.


    If only it was that easy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "If only it is that easy," Sumei said as if reading his mind. "Oh for your information, I can figure out a little of what you''re thinking, even more so when you''re broken down like this."


    Gale closed his eyes and calmed himself, or tried. He dived back to the night he first met her, when he was in pain and she helped her. The scene came to his mind, and only now he figured out all that was a lie, a fabrication. It never took ce.


    "Well, I wouldn''t call it aplete lie," Sumei said. "That night and more, all that took ce, in your dream."


    That was why nobody knew of her presence. Saarya or Sumei, nobody but him knew of her existence. And Gale simply thought she was hiding from powerful enemies. Well, she hinted some of it, and the rest was a piece of cake for his imagination.


    "Love, adoration, belief, trust," Sumei said, her voice mncholic, "even the best of us grew blind for them, and overlooked themon clues. Your weakness is being morepassionate towards mankind, especially towards the opposite sex."


    Since the beginning, she had been manipting him, since the day he was summoned to the wretched ce. Gale wasn''t even sure how much she was responsible for the summoning, for his misery.


    "That is where you''re wrong, Gale," Sumei''s voice came to his mind as the surroundings shifted back to the underground mine again. However, it wasn''t the merciless hotness that hit him this time, but an alien coldness.


    Gale appeared on the cold stone floor where the summoning took ce. Sumei reverted her look back to Saarya and stood beside him. She recreated past events, as a few ck-cloaked figures appeared before him, screwing around with something that seemed to resemble a smaller version of an arc reactor while thousands upon thousands of scripts were carved in the surroundings.


    In the midst of the reactor was aplete jet-ck matter that didn''t seem to have any physical shape, and was more like a form of energy rising and copsing, much like heartbeats.


    "Humans," Saarya said in a condescending tone, peering at the lots who were screwing around with that thing. "They never learn. Even when they don''t understand a thing about what they were experimenting on, they never stopped tinkering with it. And others pay for their recklessness."


    The next moment, the reactor activated as a suction force appeared in the middle of the room, along with a wide portal opening there.


    A mangled corpse dropped onto the ground the next moment as the portal hole copsed right after. The ck-cloaked practitioner sent men to clean up, as the experiment continued.


    One after another, mangled corpses dropped onto the floor, none of them even twitching a little, their lives ceasing even before they could be summoned.


    "They are smart enough to understand thew of equivalent exchange," Saarya continued, her voice full of scorn. "But their thick skull never stopped and thought most practitioners couldn''t injure a spatial tear of that calibre, much lessmon people."


    "What are they trying to do?" Gale found himself asking.


    "What a monkey does when you leave it with a revolver," Saarya said as a thoughtful look appeared on her face. "But I guess a couple of them had some ideas of what they were doing and what all this could entail."


    "What?"


    "They were trying to summon and imprison a higher being, unaware the higher being has been looking right back at them all that time. Mortal and their failings."


    Saarya was talking with such a condescending tone as if she stood about all mortals and humans. As if she wasn''t human at all.


    "That''s because I am not," she answered, reading his mind. She gestured at her figure. "This appearance? It''s merely an illusion, see. . ."


    As her voice trailed off, her appearance changed multiple times, from Saarya to Sumei, to some unfamiliar Elf, some dwarven woman, some other race he hardly recognised to revert to Saarya again.


    "I guess this appearance you''re most familiar with me," Saarya said, "and it also resembled my original appearance. Hmm, I don''t know. . ." Saarya paused. "It has been so many years since I looked upon my face, I fear I won''t recognise my own appearance.


    "If you''re curious, it was much like the child holding you on the mountain now, pure and angelic."


    Her voice seemed to hold hidden derision, but she changed the topic back to summoning before Gale could recognise anything.


    "Recognise the truth," Saarya said. "I''m not the one who summoned you and plunged you into years-long misery. It was them."


    She pointed towards the masked and cloaked figures, usingly.


    "They brought all this upon you and thousand others for their greed of power," she said. "While I merely tried to minimize the consequences of spatial tear onto your body."


    Time flowed quickly as corpse after corpse dropped on the floor and was cleaned until Gale found himself squirming on the ground.


    At that time, Gale waspletely overwhelmed by the pain, so he didn''t notice the ck matter glistening in his left palm. But now he noticed. The Fate mark.


    "I merely managed to save a few," Saarya''s voice rang back and forth in the hall. "And chose one to guide. One who''d end all this suffering. All my suffering. . .


    "That one is you."


    ===


    I guess this is still confusing for you to understand, don''t worry, more exnationing in the following chapters.

 Chapter 225 218 Left Hand Of Calamity (4)

    ?


    "You said you have no other way," Gale used, "that is clearly a lie, like many other lies you have told me."


    A pained expression appeared on Saarya''s face as she regarded him. "Yes, there are other ways," she said, "but none of them showed even a glimmer of hope for sess. Although you had your head in the right ce, youcked the much-needed drive to rise to the challenge."


    "So you decided to y dead after saving me?" Gale glowered at her.


    "Yes," Saarya admitted, pain showing through her expression.


    "I hope your scheme worked," Gale shouted at her, turning his face, "even if it broke me."


    "It did," Saarya said, appearing before him. She touched his cheek with her palm, drawing his head to look at her. "If not for the Thunderfiend, you would have already reached the point where I needed you."


    Gale still glowered at her, even though he knew fairly well that he couldn''t stay angry at her for much longer.


    "During the battle with the Thunderfiend," Gale asked, remembering, "you were there with me, right?"


    "I am always with you," Saarya answered, her right palm reaching for his left palm. She drew his left palm up, showing the spiral fate mark that reached his elbow. "So long you have this mark."


    The surroundings changed again, and this time it was a cramped upb inside the hot mine.


    "I was with you from the beginning, moulded you, prepared you for what you bear and what is toe," Saarya said as Gale recognised the memory of this room.


    This is where he was killed for the first time.


    "I was with you when you had to kill for the first time," Saarya said.


    In the middle of the room, younger Gale fought with the elderly Theodore. In his early novice days, he hadn''t noticed how he defeated the Oldman, who was clearly a Silver ranker, but now he saw.


    He saw how invisible energy kept the Oldman in ce, leaving himpletely open for his attack.


    "This wasn''t a dream," Saarya said, "and you know it. But this was as much I could have done for you with my limited ability in the real world."


    "All the sneeze, goosebumps or other alert of danger that I dismissed as my supetive intuition," Gale said, understanding blossoming in his mind. "All those were you?"


    "You can say that," Saarya said.


    The scene changed yet again, showing a different portrayal of the fights Gale had to ovee in the mine. In all those times, she helped him without his notice. Sometimes she merely alerted him; sometimes she slowed down his opponent that was about to deal critical damage, sometimes...


    The scene changed to the time when she sacrificed her life for him.


    Gale was chased out by over a dozen guards, beaten and battered. Being a copper ranker, he had no chance of making it against even one of them in a fair fight.


    That was when Saarya''s figure appeared in the middle out of nowhere.


    "Live!" That was the only word she uttered at that time, before she shoved him into a portal of her creation. Shebusted dozens of Fire crystal bombs after that to kill herself along with the dozen guards.


    Teen Gale watched it all from the other side of the portal as it closed with Saarya''s body crumbling into the explosive fire.


    Gale saw the truth now. In reality, Saarya didn''t really have a physical body for her figure to incinerate in the explosion. Her body waspletely spiritual, and was living linked to his body, to the mark on his left wrist.


    "I''m sorry for what I did," Saarya said, sping his palm. "At that time, I deemed all this necessary."


    "All my life," Gale cried, "All this time, I have been living a lie."


    Saarya hugged him, she had no other words to relieve him of the pain he was feeling now.


    "I never lied to you, Gale,'''' she said after a while. "I hid the truth from you because you weren''t ready, but I never lied to you."


    That did little to relieve the pain of betrayal.


    "You simply didn''t hide the truth," Gale said, "you made my life difficult too, knowingly or unknowingly."


    "I know, I''m sorry for all the wrong I did to you."


    "And you''re still not giving me theplete truth," Gale said.


    "I wish I could," Saarya said, "but you weren''t ready for it. Not until you make the Void Lockpletely yours."


    Gale glowered at her, exiting from her embrace. "You are lying again."


    "I am not," Saarya said, her expression hurt.


    "You most likely think it isn''t right for me to listen, not because you can''t tell me."


    "You don''t understand," Saarya said. "The pain and torture I''m going through, you won''t understand without seeing it, without. . ."


    "Show me then,"


    "I can''t."


    Gale snorted. "You said you never lied to me," he said as he walked to the familiar terrains. "What about the time you told me you took six steps into spiritual arts, all the maniption you did, including the spatial teleportation, all that isn''t possible for a jade ranker."


    "That''s because I''m not a jade ranker."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Gale glowered at her, turning his head.


    Saaryaughed ruefully. "I only told you I took six steps on the path," she said. "That doesn''t necessarily entail Jade rank. I was born Gold, and I took six steps after that, rendering me to stand just below the Primordial Gods."


    There were twelve steps to absolute divinity, from copper to the Axiom of divinity. And Saarya already reached the tenth step, which brought a chilling thought to his mind: Who left her as an iplete spirit like this?


    "I was betrayed," Saarya said, figuring out his intention, "that is as far as I can tell you."


    "What about the names then?" Gale asked, "Saarya, Sumei, Aariama. Are there any more you used to hurt me that I''m not aware of."


    A clear pained expression appeared on her face at his jab of usation. But Saarya collected herself quickly.


    "I''m ancient, lived for over ten thousand years," she said, leading him to swallow. "In those thousands of years, I have over a thousand names and titles people used to address me as."


    "What are your true name then?"


    "All of them are my true name."


    "You know what I''m asking," Gale growled. "Have I heard or read your name in any historical papers?"


    "You might have," Saarya answered.


    "Might?"


    "I''m not as omniscient about you as you think," she answered. "But I guess there''s no harm in telling you my true name. Ariha."


    "Hmm?"


    "Ariha was the name my father picked for me. It means Remedy."


    "Ariha of the Sun?" Gale muttered. "That is you?"


    Saarya nodded.


    "The History depicted you as dead."


    "I wish I was dead," Ariha, thedy of the Sun, mumbled and shook her head.


    Gale recalled the titbits of information he read about her. Supposedly, Ariha had been born with tremendous potential for celestial radiance. However, she forsook all those and cultivate the power of healing, as she found nothing greater than the smile and gratitude people showered on her after she healed them.


    She was supposed to have died in the war that erased the gods from this realm.


    But apparently, that wasn''t the case. She was alive, but Gale couldn''t say anything about being well.


    She was only in spiritual form, a hollow shell of her original self. Only an echo of her lost power.


    "Time has been changing," Saarya said, "you can''t give up after you came this far."


    "What do I have to do?" Gale asked, curious to no end. He wanted to know why she yed this cruel game with him, but he feared even after knowing that things wouldn''t go back to the ways it were once before.


    "First you have to advance to Gemheart," Saarya¡ªno, she wasn''t Saarya, but the ancient divinity Ariha¡ªsaid. "Although this is a bit early, you can solve all that with the opportunity you are presented with."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "You''ll know once you wake up from this dream," Ariha said. "Remember, you have to unlock the second release of Void Lock and advance to Gemheart, if you want to save the people who came for you. You have to, if you want to save me."


    Gale narrowed his eyes. "What about the corruption? Wouldn''t it consume more of my spirit when I open myself up for advancement?" Then a glint appeared in his eyes, remembering Ariha was the best of the healers of ancient times when spirit arts had no bounds. "Can it be cured?"


    Ariha shook her head in sorrow. "I really wish it was possible," she said. "But there''s no cure to the corruption, you have to live, keeping it suppressed always."


    Finding his excitement copsing, Ariha continued, "But trust me, it will get easier after you advance. And there are ways to stop it from advancing more into your spirit.


    Gale nodded, having no other thought.


    "Now it is time for you to wake up," Ariha said. "You spent too many hours in the dream, your women are getting worried."


    Gale shot her in the re.


    "Did you dull my sensesst night when I mistook Wang Li for Linlin?" Gale asked, his voice filled with usation.


    Ariha didn''t answer his question, but copsed the dream.


    "Remember, your left hand holds the power to make everything right. You must master that power."


    ______________


    If you want, you can go back and read all the foreshowings I left behind in previous chapters.


    The first volume is supposed to end here, but I pulled over 50k words of content from volume one, I think this feels iplete as if I didn''t end what I started.

 Chapter 226 219 Void Prison Realm (1)

    ?


    Wang Li watched till Sun Ziang''s figure disappeared from her sight, while the other figure of that ghostly woman vanished long ago as if she really was a ghost.


    The thunder and lightning scattered all over the mountains, most into the tall peaks. Although they were in a safer region, the mour of thunder and berserk lighting certainly wasn''t giving off the vibe. Then there was the heavy rain, which soaked the three of thempletely.


    "We should take shelter and wait for their return," Ai said as she crept towards Stormhold. Even with her blindness, she managed to walk straight towards the gate.


    However, she barely managed to step into reaching the gate when her figure stalled. She couldn''t move even an inch more.


    "What is this?" she muttered, pushing with her arms, and applying a moderate amount of force.


    The next moment, she was sent flying through the heavy rain to fall on her butt again. Her iron body was strong enough to shrug off any injury she might get from this. However, she couldn''t help but groan.


    "Ai," Fen called after her, flying to her rescue. "Are you alright?"


    Fen helped her up, as Ai didn''t act on her impulse after that. "I am alright," she said, grumbling.


    "What was that?" Fen asked.


    "I think the farm''s defence construct," Ai answered, uncertain.


    "Farm''s defence construct?" Fen repeated, her tone weird as she found it weird even when she uttered her voice.


    "Oh, sorry, I forgot about the ess pass I have with me," Wang Li apologised quickly, remembering about the Storm Token Gale gave her. She brought it out of her possession and showed them.


    "I''m really growing old," Fen said in a sombre tone, shaking her tone. She helped Ai and joined after Wang Li entered the farm.


    "I''m really sorry," Wang Li apologised again. "With everything going on, I can''t think straight."


    "Don''t be," Ai said with a sigh. "It''s my fault, without my Fortune to show my way, I am unconsciously a little suicidal."


    "What!?" Wang Li shot an incredulous nce, unsure of what she heard.


    "The construct formation really wouldn''t have acted that way in normal days," Ai exined. "The storm and other impacts influence the formation to act this way. On top of that, my imbnce in Fortune led it to happen."


    "How did you know all this, and yet fall for this?" Fen asked. "Does your imbnce in fortune make you stupid as well, Little Witch?"


    Ai simplyughed ruefully.


    Wang Li opened the formation, infusing Qi into the token. It barely took a couple of seconds, and the Stormhold weed them.


    [Wee to my humble home, Miss Innkeeper. You brought friends, I hope you brought food, too]


    Wang Li couldn''t help but smile, hearing Gale''s voice weing her in. But it didn''t take long for her to find out that it was only a recorded voice. Her shoulder slumped as all her delight vanished from her face.


    "This ce is odd," Fen said again as she was weed into the inn.


    "What do you see?" Ai asked for an obvious reason.


    "Well, you already can feel the rain is fainter here," Fen said, drawing her eyes about the farnd. "I see a weird-looking mansion, a half-built house of ss, a small beautiful garden, and mostly Wheatfield. Oh, you noticed the change in energy density, right?"


    Ai nodded. Most of the farm was familiar to Wang Li, but she noticed a few new things as well. The garden she helped to cultivate seemed to be taken care of, in addition to the greenhouse, where she was supposed to help after it wasplete.


    "It just isn''t the farm," Ai said after a while as Wang Li led them to the mansion. "The energy flow is odd, it''s rising at a berserk pace."


    "What can be the cause of that?" Fen muttered. "The storm?"


    "The storm is the catalyst, along with Sir Gale," Ai answered. "I feared something more ominous brewing."


    As her voice ended, the surrounding darkenedpletely, and the earth started to shake.


    ***


    "Do you know any safer ce nearby?" Maya asked, carrying Gale in her arms.


    "Stormhold," Xiaolin said immediately, and then her face fell, remembering it wasn''t possible to go back to the farm under this condition. Wait, that might not be true.


    Xiaolin lifted her head to look at the golden-haired woman, and her breathtaking appearance. She found herself drawn into her, even though she knew it wasn''t the time for this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Stormhold is east of here," she answered finally, giving a general direction. She was still on top of Vale, maintaining a good distance from Maya and her master, even though she didn''t want to. But her master''s senior sister was adamant about that.


    "Ah, that ce," Maya nodded, understanding. "I flew over it. Come on, I can help every one of us reach there without any injury."


    At that right moment, the sky darkenedpletely, as a chill ran down Xiaolin''s spine.


    "What''s happening?" Xiaolin asked, clinging onto Vale tightly. The hound stopped as Xiaolin looked around. "Elder master?"


    "I''m right here," Maya''s voice entered Xiaolin''s ears as she found a ball of light appearing in between them.


    Xiaolin calmed down, but she still wasn''t relieved. "What just happened?"


    "I''m not sure?" Maya said with some uncertainty. "But it felt like spatial discement."


    "Spatial discement?" Xiaolin looked at her inquiringly.


    Maya looked at her for an extended moment and considered if she should answer the question or not.


    "For starters, we might not be able to go to Stormhold anytime soon," Maya said. "Something''s odd about this ce, and it seemed to have swallowed a portion of thend into it. I''m not sure how much, it could only be the four of us, or may as well be the entire town, or more. I''m not sure."


    "What kind of thing can do such a thing?" Xiaolin asked, her voice containing the fear she possessed.


    "If it''s a Spirit formation, I''m pretty sure it had to be touching the Divine level," Maya answered. "So probably something of the ancient, but you don''t worry, I''ll keep you safe."


    Xiaolin felt the intent behind Maya''s words as her fear diminished a little. The golden-haired woman certainly has a presence like Vale and her Master.


    Coming back to her master, her mood soured yet again.


    "What happened?" Maya asked, finding the change in her expression.


    "Master, is he going to be alright?"


    "Hopefully, he''ll be like how you met him after a couple of months of rehab." Maya didn''t tell the entire truth, understanding how deep a feeling this little girl had for Gale. "Anyway, we have found a safe space soon. Although we are still in the mountain, it isn''t the same ce anymore. We have to reach a safe ce urgently, who knows what this ce stored for us."


    Xiaolin nodded, understanding their dilemma. "Oh, there''s another ce," she said immediately, remembering. "It''s in the mountains, but I don''t know the location. Master knows it."


    Although her master always said he would give a surprise to her after itpletes, it was pretty easy for her to guess he was building another secret safe ce in the mountains for reasons unknown. He left the practitioner he had captured there. She wondered if they were alright.


    "Hmm, let''s hope I can find the ce in time," As Maya said that, Xiaolin could feel an invisible force working out of the golden-haired woman''s body. The golden wings disappeared from her back, but she still remained floating in the darkness, as the force crept in her surroundings. It was something simr to Qi Sense, but somewhat different.


    The lighting and thunder had calmed down somewhat after the Spatial Discement took ce. They could only feel the ck cloud mouring its way up in the sky if it was really the sky. There was no sun, moon, or other stars, justplete darkness that loomed over them, along with the swirling clouds.


    They crept from here at a rather slower pace than they were going before.


    "Elder Master, are you an angel?" Xiaolin asked after a while, finding the silencepletely unbearable.


    Mayaughed softly. "No,ss, I am still low level to be considered as an Angel."


    Xiaolin''s eyes gleamed a little after hearing her answer. "You mean, you can be one after you grow stronger?"


    "Yes," Maya chuckled, "but that''s true for all practitioners, they can be gods too if they reach the height."


    Maya liked the petite girl, even though she barely met her. Her behaviour was one big reason for it, how she came into the middle of the storm for her master, even when she was injured in the process. However, she couldn''t deny her irresistible charm and cuteness being another reason.


    She wondered if her Junior Apprentice brother took her under his wing, finding her too cute.


    "But you have wings and radiance," Xiaolin said, showing her obliviousness, which seemed to enrich her cuteness even more.


    "Birds have wings too," Maya said, ready for such a question, "and as for radiance, I think you possess that too."


    That led Maya to think about the girl more. Xiaolin seemed awfully weak. However, her spirit resonance was stronger than a normal Iron ranker. Moreover, as Maya scrutinised more into her, she found her source of spirit arts differed from normal humans. And much more like her, though still different.


    "It might be a bit rude to ask," Maya addressed her,ing face to face with the cute girl, "but where did Gale find you?"

 Chapter 227 220 Void Prison Realm (2)

    Xiaolin told Maya about the most relevant part of her story, well, mostly rted to the impairment in her constitution and how her master helped them. As she went deeper, she didn''t leave out topics about the inheritance she got after going through what her master called the first cmity. "First Cmity," Maya said. "It has been so long since I heard that term in others'' mouths. After we''re done with this, maybe I can help you understand your inheritance better." "Thank you," Xiaolin said, bowing her head, somehow being still on top of Vale. They have been travelling for a few minutes now. The storm had calmed down by that point, only mouring high up somewhere they couldn''t see in the darkness. Abruptly, Maya halted in her path, eyes peering into the darkness. Immediately an arch appeared on her brows. "Something wrong?" Maya didn''t need to answer, as countless screeches told her what she wanted to know. "Stay near me," Maya instructed her as she came before her. The ball of illumination providing enough light for them to notice the disturbance ahead of them. More than a dozen wild animals were mouring about them. "Savage Apes," Maya muttered as the wild animals shot at her. Maya burst into overwhelming pressure towards the iing animals, sending a couple of them flying, while leaving most of them stranded on their track. Well, most of the monkeys were iron ranked, with a couple in the silver rank, but still they were two ranks below, rendering it easy for her to scare them off. The chances in the surrounding and mana density aggravated the wild animals, leading them to act this way. However, the worst was yet toe. With the change in the natural atmosphere and energy density, spirit beasts would evolve at a tremendous rate, which would also unstable them to create chaos in thisnd. Not to mention, she barely had any idea what this realm had to offer. After moving around for a quarter of an hour, they came across a pack like those a couple of times, but none of them caused a problem after Maya showed them a portion of her power. "I think I found a ce for us to stay," Maya said. "It''s likely something Gale is building, from what I am noticing." She led the other two and rounded a cliff toe before a waterfall. "Here?" Xiaolin asked. "Yes," Maya answered as she shot towards the waterfall. Vale followed, speeding over the steam in front of the waterfall. Well, they were already soaking with the heavy rain, so they didn''t have an issue getting wet. "There is defensive formation here," Maya said, her eyes glowing in a brilliant hue of gold. "It will take me a couple of seconds to break it apart, and half an hour to open without making a wreckage. . ." She paused and turned her head to look at the hound. "Unless Vale has ess to this ce." Vale clearly didn''t know the location of this ce, as Gale put her to keep Xiaolin safe most of the time he spent building this ce. However, the intricate bond between the practitioner and the spirit beast might give free ess to the beast. Vale crept forward, jumping from one boulder into the waterfall, understanding what he had to do. He barked a couple of times feeling the obstruction in the path, but then an opening emerged before him. Vale shot inside, carrying Xiaolin on his face. Maya shot forward, getting the chance as well. In one moment she was outside, in thetter, she was beside them. Xiaolin found the light of the formation copsed from where they entered. "Oops, I broke a part of it," She said with augh. "Junior brother, certainly became better at making these." Well, all she had to do was spend some time to mend the problem. With her expertise in spirit art, it wouldn''t be a problem. However, what interested them more was the cavern they were in. For starters, it didn''t appear to be a cavern at all. Stone all intricately curved in a square shape with dim light constructs embedded in them at a short distance of a couple of metres, leading the way into the secretir. Maya could easily see, the ce was iplete. Although she found many signs of trouble which would put mostmon rankers out of approaching this ce. Throughout the cavern, there are hiddenpartments and secret passages. The cavern was also outfitted with aplex system of traps and rms to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Maya had to destroy a few of them, as they were only attacking her. The cavern was divided into several chambers connected by narrow passageways. They found the first chamber is a workshop filled with tools and materials for building and crafting. There were signs of work scattered all over the chamber, as Gale probably spent most time here, building every script he needed for this ce. The next chamber was a training area for practisingbat and honing skills. The walls are lined with weapons of all kinds, and were also adorned with paintings and murals depicting fantasticalndscapes and creatures. Arge open space was in the centre of the room for sparring and training exercises. Finally, they came across a cosy living space,plete with a fire pit,fortable seating, and a small kitchen area. The walls were adorned with nothing. Perhaps a few tapestries andnterns would give the space a warm and inviting feel. Next to the space were over a few sleeping quarters, only filled withfortable beds and nkets. Maya rested Gale on one of the beds. Xiaolin was still approaching her, getting down from Vale, but she restricted her path again, telling her the same thing she said again. "I''ll need a couple of hours to suppress this," Maya told her. "You should rest in that time, although your wounds healed, you''re not in the right state." Xiaolin bit her lips. "Would it be alright if I watch?" she asked after a thought. Finding the gorgeous angel considering her, she said again, "From far away?" Her eyes literally pleading. "Okay," she said, "I''ll put on a translucent barrier anyway." With that, Maya got to work. *** Shi Fan stumbled out of the entrance to his residual cave, gasping for breath. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked back at the mountain, which was now shrouded in a dense storm cloud. Lightning shed and thunder rumbled in the distance, making the ground shake beneath his feet. And there was more, he didn''t understand. But one thing he was clear of, he had to leave this mountain immediately. '' "Holy hell," Shi Fan cursed, "Why this happens to me all the time?" He looked around, frantically, searching for a way out of the mountain range, but s! all of it was epassed by the swirling storm as if the god of storm cursed this mountain himself. Shi Fan chose a direction and rushed, his eyes darting from one rocky outcropping to the next, trying to find a safe path through the thick forest. Well, he had a general direction of the way out. However, with the darkness blinding his sight, he was having trouble making sure he was on the right path. As he ran, the wind whipped through his hair and tore at his clothing. The rain pounded down relentlessly, turning the dirt path into a slick, muddy mess. He probably had run for half an hour, only then the storm calmed down. He sighed in relief, even though he hadn''t made it out of the mountain. He saw a break in the clouds up in the sky. Weirdly, it was gathering together, instead of dissolving after the heavy fall. Meaning, it would Shi Fan was at his wit''s end, stumbling around, not finding a way out of the mountain, no matter how much distance he covered. It made him feel like he was running in circles. With no bright idea in mind, Shi only walked around with his shoulder slumped, when a familiar voice rang in his ears. "Shi Fan," a feminine voice said, "is that you?" Shi Fan blinked, looking around and finally noticing an eerie figureing to his rescue. "Twilight," Shi Fan cried, running towards her. He almost closed the distance and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her, only to find that the gothic figure disappeared from his sight to spear a couple of paces away. "Sorry, I was . . ." Shi Fan tried to exin. "You don''t have to exin," Twilight said, keeping the healthy distance she liked. "I''ll make sure it won''t happen again," Shi Fan said. He swallowed, finding her dangerous purple eyes staring at him. "What are you doing here?" Shi Fan asked. he wanted to know if she came to save him, but there was nothing but friendship, and trust between them, not to mention the storm was abrupt. "Commission," Twilight answered in one word, as she liked it. "From the foreigner?" Shi Fan raised an eyebrow. The gothic woman shook her head. "His friend." "So what is yourmission about, if you don''t mind telling?" "Finding the reason behind the storm and the spatial discement," Twilight answered. "Also, to find Gale." "Gale?" Shi Fan was a bit surprised to hear her utter someone''s first name. But then his mind reeled back to what she said before that. "Wait, Spatial discement, what the hell are you talking about?" Twilight didn''t answer the question, but said something he wanted to hear. "Come with me, or you won''t survive alone." ______<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 228 221 Void Prison Realm (3)

    ?


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Gale''s chest beat like a huge sledgehammer pitted against the anvil. The beating only rose as Maya worked on suppressing the corruption from affecting more of his physical body.


    She was literally drawingplicated spirit scripts on the air without the help of any items and transmitting them into Gale''s leg one after another as the unconscious man groaned out loudly even when he was unconscious.


    Maya already managed to block everything below his knee, but sending them below to the ankle would be tougher.


    Glistening sweat beads formed on her forehead and vaporised as she continued on with the process, expending her spirit power and radiance.


    Other than the corruption, Gale''s channels went berserk, barely holding on. Maya could easily see it was the consequences of channelling the power of the storm into his channels. However, that shouldn''t have left Gale alive after he was done with everything.


    Yet he was healing, even before she cast a few radiant healing spells on him. She had found a familiar radiant fate lock near where she had found Gale. It was something she created along with their master, refining from a gemheart core of a celestial radiance.


    Gale was intending to take it as his fourth fate lock in the hope of using its healing power to save himself.


    "At least he wasn''tpletely suicidal," Maya muttered, and found the petite little disciple was still giving worried nces from the other side of the barrier.


    The surprising thing was that he was healing already before he could even try bonding with the fate lock.


    After about six hours of work on Gale, Maya was finally done suppressing the Corruption to the best of her abilities. But she feared all the restrictions she put in would onlyst a few months.


    "Gale wouldn''t like it when he wakes up," she mumbled as she stood up, retracting the barrier.


    "What I wouldn''t like?"


    Maya blinked and found Gale''s eyes staring at her with a painful expression on his face.


    "You woke up faster than I assumed," Maya said, and was about to start on with her questioning, but the little disciple her junior brother had taken in didn''t seem like she could stop her anymore.


    "Master!" Xiaolin rushed to the bed to sp Gale''s arm e''s arm. She almost hugged him, resting her head on his chest.


    Gale was about to pull her closer with both arms, but a thought stopped him from using his left arm. He only tousled her hair with his right palm, stroking her head softly. Next came Vale, who started licking his face.


    "I''m right here," Gale whispered. He gave them proper time to make sure he was alright, and said, "Okay, now leave me with some space to breathe."


    Both the girl and animal did as he told them. Xiaolin''s eyes tore up as she didn''t leave his arm, however.


    "How are you feeling?" Maya asked, sitting next to him on the other side.


    "I feel like I was hit by a train," Gale answered.


    "That sums it up." Maya nodded and reached for her left arm, but Gale lurched it away. A frown appeared on her angelic eyes.


    "What''s a train?" Xiaolin asked, confused.


    "Consider it as a hundred-metre-long metal carriage," Maya answered for Gale as she had already heard this term from Gale multiple times. She returned to Gale. "What happened to your left arm?"


    Gale frowned, drawing it to peer into the spiritual marks in his arm. His palm was shaking, as the weird dark power surged through the mark. That wasn''t all.


    "Probably a side effect of the spatial detonation," Gale answered and told himself.


    "I figured that was you''re doing," Maya answered. "Have you checked on what happened to your left ankle?"


    Gale closed his eyes and sighed. He could feel Maya restrict the taint from corrupting his body more, and while doing so she hadn''t left him with much Qi to work with. If before it was the amount an Iron ranker had ess to, then now it was simr to a copper ranker.


    [I can help you get back a portion of your power,] a voice said in his mind.


    ''Saarya?'' Gale thought.


    [Yes?]


    ''Nothing, just wanted to make sure you were there,'' Gale told her.


    [I''m always with you,] Saarya told him. [If I didn''t take liberty words, then I''m literally leaching off your mind and body.]


    ''I don''t think I understand thatpletely,'' Gale told her.


    [There''s still much for you to learn. Also, don''t talk about my presence to that little girl of my blood.]


    ''Why?'' Gale asked, understanding she was talking about Maya when she mentioned ''little girl''. ''Please don''t say I won''t understand.''


    [I lived a long life, and did many great things, but most of them can''t be seen or haven''t been painted in a good light,] Saarya said, her tone painful. [Have you ever assumed why there are so few folks of the Celestial Radiance?]


    ''Because they left for the divine realm?''


    [There''s no divine realm,] Saarya snorted, spouting out a big secret. [There''s only one endless spirit realm, you have explored, a little portion of it in your early years.]


    ''The temple where I found Vale?'' Gale asked.


    [Yes,] Saarya said, [unfortunately, I was only able to open a one-way portal. Thankfully, you didn''te across anything powerful and even managed to bond with a spirit of protection.]


    ''Hmm.'' Gale thought back to the days.


    [Anyway, the point is not because my nsmen left for the spirit realm,] Saarya said, her voice filled with unbridled fury. [But many of the powerful ones were killed and the rest were enved. I fear many are still being enved in the spirit realm.]


    Gale''s blood turned cold as he heard her.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    [The little girl is lucky to escape their eyes.]


    ''Who are they?'' Gale asked, only to get no answer. He guessed it was one of those sensitive topics.


    "Gale?" Maya called, finding him lost in thoughts, closing his eyes. "No outburst?"


    "For what?" Gale asked, opening his eyes back to reality.


    "Well, I had to restrict more of your Qi," Maya said, biting her lower lip.


    Gale let out a sigh. "That isn''t your fault," he said, "It''s of my doing.]


    Maya blinked at him. "Wow, I hadn''t thought you would this understanding quickly."


    "I always am." Gale groaned out loud, feeling the thump yet again.


    "What was that!?" Gale asked, his voice rming.


    "What?" Maya asked.


    "Didn''t you feel the earth thumping?"


    Maya frowned as she turned to Linlin and Vale, making sure she hadn''t missed anything.


    "I felt nothing," Xiaolin said.


    Vale shook his head, too.


    "Maybe it''s an aftereffect of your injuries," Maya said. "You should rest now, you literally have no power in your body, if you haven''t noticed."


    Gale tried to move and found his body aching in a splitting pain. "You''re right," he admitted, groaning.


    "Always." Maya wasn''t shy about that. "Rest."


    "Yes," Gale said, and remembered. "Can you check the central hub and the few indentured workers? I think you''ll know what to do there once you''re there."


    "Well, I was nning on repairing the formation I damaged," Maya said, "let''s see what extra work you have for me."


    Maya gave the little girl a look, who clearly didn''t n on leaving her master. So she left them there and went on.


    "Master, do you need anything?" Xiaolin asked.


    Gale shook his head and figured it was better for him to answer with his mouth. "No, just some rest, I guess."


    ''Saarya, are you still there?'' Gale asked.


    [Always.]


    ''Did you influence my sensesst night when I mistook Wang Li for Linlin?'' Gale asked the same question again.


    But like before, all he got as an answer was silence.


    ''Saarya?'' Gale called in his head, ''you''re here always.''


    [I think your diminishing senses have more to do with corruption than me,] Saarya said. [While I influenced your senses during any trouble, you were intoxicated at that time.]


    ''That didn''t answer it all,'' Gale said.


    [Fine, what do you want to know?] Saarya said, her tone hardening. [Yes, I could have alerted your senses and made sure you didn''t make the mistake, but I let that happen.]


    ''You let that happen?'' Gale repeated, his jaw tightening. "Why?"


    "Master?" Xiaolin asked and only then Gale find out he said it out loud.


    "Nothing," Gale said, and got back to his conversation in his mind as well.


    ''Why?''


    [I don''t know,] Saarya said. [I could have stopped it, but I whim not to. I guess I was bored.]


    Gale cursed inwardly. ''You say you''re older than ten thousand years, and mostly silently residing in me, and yet you''re feeling bored.''


    [My point exactly,] Saaryaughed. [You might have not noticed, but I was so bored that sometimes I let out something even when I was ying dead to you.]


    Gale''s face went soured as he heard that. ''Did you never think what would it mean for that woman?''


    [I did, probably more than you,] Saarya said with absolute assurance. [I deemed this was better for her.]


    Gale groaned inwardly.


    [Believe it or not, I know you better than you yourself. Gale Joseph Paul Carpenter. If I left everything to you, you probably would have left her years in misery. My silence only hastens the process.]


    ''Do you know howplicated my rtionship with Xiaolin would be because of this?''


    [I know, but I feel my disciple can make both the woman happy if he put his heart into it. Besides, you like her, it is time for you to admit that.]

 Chapter 229 222 Void Prison Realm (4)

    ?


    Gale spent about six hours in deep meditation, taking control of his deadbeat body. Although most of the serious injuries in his channels healed after Saarya''s intervention, he feared he won''t be in fighting shape within a couple of weeks.


    Then he has to work to get back the power that Maya had sealed. He had no clue how long that would take.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    Gale woke up from his meditation, feeling the same vibration again. It was as if calling him who knew where.


    Gale found Xiaolin on the same bed, waiting for him as she was done with her meditation a couple of hours ago.


    "Master, you''re awake," Xiaolin said. "How''re you feeling?"


    "Better," Gale said, patting her head. He turned his head around and found Vale resting, but no sign of his senior apprentice sister. "Where''s Maya?"


    "She left," Xiaolin answered. "Shepleted everything you asked of her and went into the mountain to check what is going on."


    "Hmm," Gale hummed. "When did she leave?"


    "About an hour ago. She said she will be back in a few hours."


    Gale nodded. He could dreadfully feel the shift in nature in the mountains, even when he was inside the secretir. The natural energy density increased tremendously as if they were situated right above a sting spirit energy ley line. Then there was the pudgy feeling in the air, the unrest.


    Gale rested on the thought, as he wouldn''t have to worry about his senior apprentice sister. She had advanced one rank above his, and with her natural speed, she would be fine.


    Gale lifted his head to look at Xiaolin. He let out a breath. "Linlin, there''s something I have to tell you."


    Xiaolin regarded him inquiringly.


    "I probably shouldn''t have left the inn without telling you," Gale said, embarrassment growing on his expression. "But something happened, I didn''t know how I was supposed to face you." Or Wang Li.


    Xiaolin''s face turned red instantly. "I heard you mistook elder sister for me," she said. "She told me already."


    Gale grunted, yet weirdly, he found no change in Xiaolin''s expression. Instead, she was acting even shyer.


    ''If she heard all of it, then why she isn''t mad at me?'' Gale wondered.


    "Master, I''m sorry," Xiaolin said,pletely surprising him. "It''s my fault. Ipletely forget what I promised to you after you gave me the wine."


    Gale blinked at her. "Still, aren''t you mad at me for this?"


    "I''m," she said. "I''m mad at both of ourselves. Elder Sister was so rigid when she was telling me that. Gosh, what she had to put through. Thankfully, you didn''t cross the line, or. . ."


    Gale frowned.


    "Master," Xiaolin nodded, the look on his face as well. "You didn''t do anything to cross the line did you?"


    Gale didn''t say anything.


    "Master?"


    Gale sighed. "That depends on where you think the line is, I fear."


    Xiaolin regarded him, frowning. "Did you kiss her?"


    Gale nodded.


    "On the lips?"


    Gale nodded.


    Xiaolin''s face turned unsightly instantly. "How! I thought your Gold senses can recognise people from a Li away, how can you make such a blunder?!"


    "I probably drank a little too much ambrosia. And as you know, my senses weren''t as it was once were."


    Xiaolin groaned in frustration. "How am I going to face her again?"


    "We can''t go back after what I did," Gale said after Saarya put the stuff straight to him. "I already apologised to her, but I don''t think that''s enough. All we can do is work towards helping the situation. It will take time, but I''m sure we''ll get somewhere."


    ***


    Han Shitian couldn''t remain in his house anymore, discovering the oddness of the storm, and it wasn''t him alone. Even Iskander joined him on the roof to peer into the storm.


    "Are you still certain your people willplete the job without any issues?" Han Shitian asked the foreigner, turning his head to face the elegant man.


    Iskander didn''t answer for a certain time, peering into the stormy mountain. "I feel like there''s something more else on the mountains," he said. "I think I''ll have to go and check."


    Iskander proceeded to leave right at that moment, ring his Qi tomand a movement skill.


    "Wait, I''lle as well," Han Shitian said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The foreigner turned his head and asked, "Are you sure?"


    "I already yed my part, I won''t be able to sleep in peace if I didn''t put this matter to an end," he said.


    "Well,e on then."


    The two of them charged their movement skill and shot for the mountain, their speed rising with each moment. At this rate, they would reach the mountain within half an hour.


    However, things didn''t turn out as they had hoped. They barely covered two-thirds of the distance when a great spatial shock detonated in the mountains. Obviously, they were too far away and higher ranked to be affected by that, but they did notice the shockwave.


    "What was that?" Han Shitian asked.


    But the foreigner''s eyes were elsewhere, towards the golden light shooting towards the mountain range. A delightful expression crossed his lips instantly as he turned to face Han Shitian.


    "Change of n," he said. "We''ll wait until more reinforcementes."


    "Why?" Han Shitian asked, clearly missing the golden light shooting for the mountain.


    Iskander didn''t bother to answer as they moved closer to the mountain.


    ***


    Sun Min was staying as a guest in Shenhu Mountain Sect for about a week. Her duties were pretty simple as always, heal anyone in need, advise an aspiring practitioner, and check on the political matters of the sect.


    The sect has been under the regime of her family for over millennia, although the rtionship has been distant for most of the time. Sun n didn''t rule with an iron hand as their Sovereign took a more free approach to rule over subsidiary sects and ns.


    Well, those ns and sects were free like most other free organisations, but their only duty was to turn up when the Sun n called.


    The political water had been growing restless in Tianhui for years now. With the upassionate king and hungry noble houses, it wasn''t really a surprise. On normal asions, these weren''t supposed to affect the Legendary Sun n or its subsidiary powers, however, somehow this Shenhu Mountain sect managed to throw themselves into the entanglement of others'' schemes.


    She was here to break that thought of involving themselves in such a fight, and while doing that she was also looking for any young candidates who were talented enough.


    So far, she had her eyes on a couple. Though unpolished, she figured with the teachings of her n, they would shine like diamonds in a year or two.


    "Mistress, your longread received a call," a young servant girl called.


    "Thank you," Sun Min said. "I''ll go look into it."


    There were plenty of people who had her contacts, and she received plenty of longread every week. Obviously, she didn''t bother with most of them, as half of them were asking for her hand in marriage. The rest were from families, or others asking for her expertise.


    Sun Min wasn''t surprised to find the contact was from Sun Ziang, as the youth had been in contact with her constantly since he was deported. However, she was surprised reading the content he left for her.


    Supposedly, some cmity was about to befall in Wayshire, as it was prophesied by the disciple of the Grand Oracle of the first temple.


    He put the oracle apprentices to prophesy word by word below, which put in a rather discontentment. She was missing too much information to make head and tail out of the words.


    Other than that, Sun Ziang described the storm that covered the mountain range.


    "Hmm, there''s supposed to be something left behind by an ancient civilization," she muttered as she read the prophecy once again. Without a second thought, she dialled the contact that connected her with her grandmother, Sovereign White Spring.


    Sun Min delivered the prophecy word by word. Then she waited for anymunication from her grandmother.


    [Do as you see fit.]


    Only one line appeared on the papers after a while. The words spoke volumes of trust the sovereign had in her.


    Sun Min wasn''t supposed to go and help Sun Ziang. However, after she got this from her grandmother, she figured she shouldn''t wait here and leave everything to him.


    Without thinking any more, Sun Min stored all her necessary items in her spatial storage device. She left a quick note for the sect master and handed it to the servant.


    "Take this to the sect master," she told her.


    Even as the servant left with the note fervently, Sun Min closed her eyes and released her power.


    In the next moment, her entire figure was sucked in by the portal.


    ***


    In an unknown dark mansion, a dark man sprinted back deeper into the facilities, sping his one palm with another. His right palm was troubled with a splitting pain, shaking in the reminder of something he had been working on for twenty years.


    Without the notice of his partners in crime, the man moved deeper into the house and entered a makeshift lift. It took him down into the underground facilities after he worked through some secret constructs.


    After a while, he rested the palm that was shuddering in a splitting pain. The palm was sickly grotesque, missing a lot of muscle and fibres,pared with the other arm. It had several twisted spiral marks, which seemed to be the cause of all this.


    "Finally," he said, making a fist with the sickly arm. "Finally, the time hase! My path to home."


    A mour of howls and screech broke after him as the man started tough maniacally.

 Chapter 230 223 Fate Lock And Bond (1)

    ?


    Gale could move around in the secretir with a little pain, but he was ill at ease finding what was transpiring outside. First of all, the natural energy density was raised to a tremendous degree, easilypeting against any spirit art holynd.


    That was where the good things ended. The all-epassing darkness seemed to bring rather a high discontentment among all the dwellers of thisnd. Wild beasts or spirit animals have been mouring since it started. It didn''t seem it would change any time soon.


    Also, the higher energy density would affect the spirit beasts more than they could handle. Some of them might be able to handle it and advance to the next rank, but most of them would die soon at this rate. That''s not a good thing for natural bnce.


    Somehow Gale felt himself being the culprit of all this. Well, he had brought down the storm, and also created the spatial detonation, which seemed to be the main catalysts of this change.


    The spatialws of the surroundings seemed to have been altered as well, it was more unstable. Gale found he could open the Void lock barely putting any effort, the Qi usage decreased by a significant portion as well. Currently, Gale would need only about a tenth of what he usually needed to open the portal.


    Sadly, he couldn''t do anything about it at the state he was currently at. Well, Maya went to look, so in the meantime, he would use the time to heal up well.


    And what better way to do it than bonding with one of the most potent fate locks created for self-regeneration and healing?


    Gale juggled the radiant fate lock bead from one palm to another as he crept to the cultivation chamber, Xiaolin trailing behind with a sombre look on her face.


    "I guess the high mana density would make things easier," Gale muttered as he activated many of the script constructs. The room lit up as a thick nket of energy epassed the chamber. That wasn''t all, Gale prepared other constructs to go through the ritual of bonding the fate lock.


    "It would have been much easier if Maya was here," Gale said as he turned to Xiaolin. "I fear you have to go out of this chamber now. Your mind won''t survive the ritual I set up here."


    Xiaolin nodded easily to agree, but the sombre expression never left her face. "What is the ritual?"


    "It is not that difficult, I think, just that I will have a migraine for a long time with this," Gale said. "What I have to do is pretty simple, I have to spend arge amount of time in the blinding light this fate core emits. Sounds pretty simple right?"


    Xiaolin didn''t know what to say. It sounded pretty straightforward, but she heard the fate core was created from the gem heart of one of the Celestial Radiance''s angelic figures. Straight forward didn''t necessarily imply it would be easy.


    "I''ll be fine," Gale told her, finding her anxiety rising. "The worst that can happen is that I wound up blind, but that can be solved with some care."


    Xiaolin bit her lips. Gale came forward and hugged her, after exchanging a short kiss on her lips, he sent her out of the chamber.


    Without further ado, Gale sat cross-legged in the centre of the chamber with the fate lock bead in his hand. The familiar presence of Saarya ticked on the back of his mind, providing him with enough confidence as she would help him out if anything went wrong.


    Gale waited no more after he calmed his heart and spirit. He formed his Qi into a corporeal sting and pierced the bead, activating the bonding process.


    With the contact of his Qi, the bead flew out of his hand to hover in mid-air, surging in storming light energy.


    Gale braced himself, as cracks started to appear on the bread.


    [Hmm, interesting,] Saarya said in his mind. [Although healing was the main function of this core, it wasn''t necessarily all its features.]


    "It will also provide light attribute as far as I know," Gale said. "It wouldn''t be the Radiance of your race, but I guess it would be pretty close to it.]


    [Yes,] Saarya agreed, her voice full of hate, [our Gemheart creates the beast material to create light attribute fate locks for others.]


    ''I''m sorry,'' Gale whispered in his mind.


    [Don''t be. You aren''t in anyway responsible for what happened to my race, and I can''t find anyone better to inherit this fate lock.]


    Gale nodded as he focused on the sharp rays of light emitting out of the cracks of the fate lock. Some of the shes came right at his face, but instead of straying away from the light''s path Gale stared at it, narrowing his eyes.


    That''s the ritual of bonding this fate lock. He had to prove to himself that he could handle the intensity of the light.


    More cracks started to appear on the surface of the core, as the blinding light rose in intensity. All of it seemed toe for Gale as he activated the bonding process with it.


    A short few minutes after, the small bead hovered like a small sun, scorching with its radiance, all blinding and tyrannical. Gale found some tickling in his Gold skin. After his injuries, the radiance was making him even more ufortable.


    But that was the small price to pay for getting the power of the fate lock.


    ***


    When Maya came back, she found Xiaolin standing on her tiptoes, peeking through the ss of the cultivation chamber. She seemed to be in that position for some time, with how blood froze in her tiptoes.


    "What is happening?" Even though she asked that, she shot her presence into the chamber and easily find out what had been cooking up since she was gone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Damn it, Gale," Maya cursed. "Can''t you wait until you''re in a fair state!?"


    "Senior Master," Xiaolin greeted, bowing her head in reverence.


    "At ease," Maya told her with a sigh. "Like I told you, just act naturally around me."


    Xiaolin nodded, though without much change in her demeanour. Maya crept to stand next to her. She was easily a head taller than Xiaolin, so she didn''t have to tiptoe to see what was going on in the chamber.


    Maya narrowed her eyes as the vision cleared in her eyes. She found Gale in a nket of light, his skin swollen red from the intense heat the light was providing, his eyes bleeding a little from the intensity.


    "Will Master be alright?" Xiaolin asked, biting her lips, anxiety jittering her expression.


    "No," Maya said straightly, annoyed at her junior apprentice-brother for doing whatever he desired. "He''s pretty much blind for now, and the ritual wouldst for at least half a day longer. I think he''ll have all his skin burned and bleeding, mind in a sting mess by that time. But after he seeds in that trial, he would be just about fine, I guess."


    Maya acted being at ease with her annoyance, but her straightforward words didn''t put Xiaolin at ease. The petite girl simply peeked into the chamber even though she barely could see anything with the blinding light.


    "Don''t worry about him, he went through worse than that multiple times," Maya said. "Also,e with me. I promised to check on you, I think I can help you know what you are."


    "But. . ." Xiaolin''s voice trailed off, still peeking at Gale. Maya wondered what Gale did to get a disciple like this.


    "Like I said it wouldst half a day, you will have more time to watch him suffer."


    Xiaolin grunted as Maya took her to the next chamber.


    "Okay, show me your Fate Mark," Maya said immediately.


    "Hmm, aren''t you going to rest, Senior Master?" Xiaolin asked. "You seem to have been working since I found you."


    "Perhaps after I help you too." Maya smiled.


    Xiaolin could only oblige. She loosened her robe and pulled it up to show theplicated mark on her abdomen.


    A frown crept to Maya''s brows immediately the moment her eyesid on the mark. She touched, drawing her finger over it, infusing a little of her senses inside the mark. Or marks. There were two of them, both of them iplete as far as she could tell.


    "Hmm," Maya hummed, considering. "Gale was right about you being one of the spirit races. Water attribute, and space for more. And this mark is. . . For a bond?"


    Maya met her gaze. "How did you bond?"


    A tint of red appeared on Xiaolin''s face as she answered. "Master."


    "That exined why I felt the intimacy between you even when you two are distance apart."


    "What do you mean?" Xiaolin answered, blushing.


    "Calm down, it''s nothing," Maya said. "This bond is of more spiritual nature than most. And more intimate too. But the direction of it should be Gale, it should be him who would feel protective of you."


    "He is," Xiaolin said.


    Maya gave her a look, as Xiaolin blushed harder.


    "Anyway, the bond is iplete," Maya said, "you guys probably have guessed that."


    Xiaolin nodded. "Can you tell me what will happen once itpletes?"


    "Basically, you two would be bound to death," Maya said in a grave tone. "And I think Gale was supposed to get a portion of your power, however, with you being marginally lower in strengthpared to him, he gets nothing being your Knight."


    "My knight?"


    ________


    I think I won''t write the shback anymore. Some part of it destroyed the pacing of the story.

 Chapter 231 224 Fate Lock And Bond (2)

    ?


    "What are you talking about?" Xiaolin asked, evident confusion in her tone.


    "Well, there aren''t many people of the spirit race in our world, so the legend is mostly lost, but with me being one of the very few of the spirit race, I did an extensive study on the matter." Maya paused to consider her words. "Apparently, most spirit creatures from birth have the ability to bond with another same or different racial folk. The bonds aren''t the same though.


    "Like a higher intelligent spiritual being than most others, your bond is one of the superior spiritual levels. You might not have a clue of this, Xiaolin, but you''re one of the royalties of the spirit race."


    "Huh?"


    "Of course, there are other criteria you have to meet, but that''s none of your concern now," Maya continued. "Basically, your bond is to make sure you don''t die at an earlier age, as you are pretty weak at the lower ranks."


    Xiaolin had no words to refute that. She was weak, even after her advancing a step. Her physical self only grew a little, and even though her spirit advanced, she was still left with the detriment of her physique.


    "You won''t grow much in physical strength," Maya told her, "however, your regeneration would reach a degree that you could even survive a head explosion. Of course, you have to transcend. That''s still three Cmities away."


    Xiaolin had no words to describe what she was feeling. "What about how spirit energy keeps leaking out of my body?"


    "That?" Maya considered. "I think I have to do a thorough examination toe to any conclusion, but I feel that was because of your iplete lineage. Your human side makes it difficult for your spiritual side to prosper.


    "Supposedly, you aren''t supposed to umte spirit energy, but just use the natural energy as you see fit."


    Xiaolin grew more confused as she heard that. "Are you like that too?"


    "No," Mayaughed, "actually, it''s quite the opposite. Some of us are born with a part of our predecessor''s power, and we umte more from there. That''s why bonding isn''t too serious for us."


    Xiaolin was jealous of her. Eventually, she sighed. Maya was of the legendary Celestial Radiance, although their numbers had dwindled, they were still a powerful force to reckon with. She was no match for the angelic being.


    "Your problem is that, unlike most people with pure spiritual nature, you have to alter spiritual energy into Qi to use it," Maya said. "I think that will stay the same until you transcend. I fear nobody could do anything about this other than hastening the process, but that was a detriment on its own."


    Without a significant time, Xiaolin wouldn''t be able to grasp her power, which would be her demise if she went through another cmity like that. She wouldn''t have survived her first if it weren''t for Gale, no point calling another one to her demise.


    After finishing the initial examination, Maya told her she would help her more after they had some food.


    ***


    Gale''s nerves went numb as he couldn''t feel the burning pain in his body anymore, however, he was hating every moment of the terrible migraine that came with staring right at the source of the light.


    s! There was no other way.


    His eyes stopped bleeding a few minutes ago, as the next step of the text began. Now it wasn''t constant light anymore, but a constant flicker of the blinding light.


    Gale was blind now. One moment it was all darkness, and the next he was blind with the golden light again. The fate lock made a mess of his senses.


    [Hmm,] Saarya''s voice came into his head. She was silent for most of the time during the process of the ritual. But now, it seemed something had piqued her mind. [Should I help you get the most out of this inheritance?]


    ''What do you mean?'' Gale asked, his mind buzzing with a constant mour of a beeping noise, even though there was no white noise in the room.


    [I have a way for you to inherit the Radiance of our race,] Saarya told him. [I don''t have to tell you how important that is, do I?]


    "No," Gale croaked. Basically, Radiance was a higher form of general light attributed spirit energy, which can be used for both creation and destruction. Of course, there was a limit to its power, providing one''s rank, still, it was one of the most overpowered powers of this world.


    [Of course, the pain you''re feeling currently will be nothingpared to what you''d feel if you agreed,] Saarya said, her voice soft and soothing as always. [But I can guarantee, all will be worth it if you seed.]


    ''What are you implying?'' Gale asked, having a little suspicion of what she was telling him.


    [You won''t like hearing it,] Saaryaughed dryly.


    "Just say and get done with this," Gale said, insanity growing in his head of the alternation of light and darkness.


    [What I''m implying is for you to introduce more of the radiant power into your spirit and change your spirit nature.]


    Gale groaned, understanding how troublesome that would be. ''That would be as devastating as how when I got those spirit scars.''


    [And more,] Saarya agreed. [However, it will render you half-step into Gemheart level as well, how do you feel about that?]


    Gale didn''t say for a few seconds, considering her proposal. "What are the chances of survival and sess?"


    Saarya took her time to answer. [Survival is guaranteed with my presence,] she said. [As for sess, that would depend on how much you can endure. We aren''t intending to change your naturepletely, you already have all kinds of inheritance to block that path, but a good enough portion to make you more of a spiritual entity.]


    Gale remained silent for a little longer. "Fine, do it."


    [You''re agreeing that easily?] Saarya asked, a little startled. [I thought you were human. I mean yourself.]


    "I like being alive even more," Gale said in a sombre tone. "Anyway, being human is overrated, but I do like how I appear. Will that change too?"


    [Somewhat,] Saarya said, not too certain. [Of course, you won''t be an angelic beauty with this, but it will change you, more than how transcendence can change you. As for your mindset, I fear nothing changes that you wouldn''t like.]


    There was a deep seethed pride in her tone as she mentioned thest line. Gale found his confidence grow, hearing her pride in him.


    "Okay, what do I have to do?" Gale asked.


    [First, I would need some blood of your Senior sister,] Saarya said. [Do you think she would agree to if you ask?]


    Gale frowned. "You know I''m really ufortable with how you guys lose your mind over blood. But I guess I have to be damn convincing to get it from Maya"


    [I would have given you mine, but I have no way to do so, how I am now.]


    "Don''t mention it," Gale said with a sigh. Weirdly, he was feeling less of a problem with  blinding as he was talking to her.


    [Okay, she wasing in, be as charming as you can be. I have faith in you.]


    Gale snorted. ''Do you have any idea how much charming I needed to be to impress someone of your race?''


    [Good for you, you already impressed me.]


    Maya came into the chamber,pletely unobstructed by a blinding light. She found Gale''s bleeding figure, and burned skin. His clothes were non-existence, but she wasn''t focusing on that.


    "How are you holding on?" she asked.


    "Just an itch in the body," Gale said with augh.


    "And the mind?"


    "I feel like my mind would explode."


    "That sounds just about right," Maya said, his lips curving up into a smile. "You know this is just the exact trial I went through as my first cmity?"


    "That''s how you get your head screwed, huh?" Gale joked, which earned him a re from her. "Of course, I''m joking and you know it. You''re pretty cool, for being a bird."


    "I''m not a bird," Maya yelled at him, her voice enraged.


    "Then let me count," Gale said and started to count his fingers. "First, you came out of an egg. Second, you have wings like birds. Third, you look¡­"


    He didn''t voice out the third, because that would really be a bit out of line.


    "That wasn''t an egg," Maya shouted at him.


    "It was, in crudenguage," Galeughed.


    [I asked you to be charming, not infuriating, dear Gale,] Saarya''s voice came into his mind, full of disapproval.


    "Fine, since you''re having so much fun, I''ll leave you to it, without healing you," Maya said, snapping back at him. She was ready to leave, but Gale stopped her.


    "Maya, wait," Gale called. "There''s something I need your help with."


    "Huh, you need a help of a bird?" Maya snorted.


    "No, I need your help, my dear sweet senior sister, who has the softest heart and most brilliant among master''s disciples."


    "ttery won''t get you anywhere with me," Maya sneered, still in a bad mood.


    "But all of it was true though," Gale said.


    "You have the softest heart," Maya said.


    Gale tilted his head, considering. "That''s a close contest," Gale said, "but I guess you have some credibility."


    Maya sighed, no way for her to stay mad at him. "So what do you need my help with?"


    "It''s pretty straightforward," Gale said, hoping she wouldn''t make a scene out of it. "I need your blood."


    ______

 Chapter 232 225 Fate Lock And Bond (3)

    ?


    "What!?" Maya asked, her voice confused and rmed. "Why do you need my blood?"


    "Come down, sister, I''m not asking for your hand in marriage," Gale said, trying to y it off cool.


    "My reaction would have been a lot less dramatic if you really asked for my hand in marriage," Maya snorted.


    "It''s only blood," Gale said again.


    "It''s not only blood," Maya told him, her expression serious. "Why do you need my blood, anyway?"


    "It isn''t your blood per se," Gale said with a sigh. "It''ll be fine as long as ites from Celestial Radiance."


    "Still, that doesn''t exin my concern." Maya narrowed her eyes. "You won''t get much benefit from refining the blood as well with your Gold rank. Well, it can help with your healing, is that why you need my blood?"


    "That and more," Gale said. "I can''t exin everything to you in the state I''m in, but I promise it will be tremendously beneficial for me."


    Maya still wasn''t convinced. She was torn between listening to him or cutting him off.


    "Fine." Gale yed hisst card. "If you listen to me this time, we''re even."


    "Even in what?"


    "You forgot already?" Gale acted angry, although the event of the path was behind him. He snorted, glowering at her. "You forgot about Tess?"


    "Tess." Maya shook her head.


    "You two yed with my vulnerable heart," Gale said, acting still in pain, "I still haven''t forgiven you two for what you did."


    Maya showed a disgruntled expression. "Come on, that''s years ago. Tess and I aren''t even together anymore."


    "But my heart is broken into two pieces."


    "Oh, please!"


    "Are you saying Tess isn''t even worth a little of your blood?" Gale asked, his voice challenging. "So cold."


    In the end, Maya sighed. The next moment, a test tube full of dark scarlet blood with a golden tint appeared in her palm. She held it towards him.


    "Huh, wonder why you acted all that serious when you''re running around with your blood in test tubes," Gale said, attempting to take the blood from her, but at thest moment, Maya pulled back her arm.


    "You probably don''t have any idea what this test tube of blood can do," Maya said, finally handing the ss tube to him. "It can help one of the younglings survive their second cmity. I hope you don''t waste in any vain experiment."


    ''I hope not,'' Gale said inwardly, showing a confident front to her. "Thank you."


    Maya snorted. "Now you''ll never bring Tess into anything."


    "Sure," Gale said, peering into the scarlet blood. The blood didn''t feel anything extraordinary from external scrutiny, it seemed like a potent practitioner''s blood, but he was aware, this little text tube of blood concealed the path to their inheritance, which was impossible for others to gain.


    Maya didn''t leave after handing Gale a portion of her blood, instead, she stood there, waiting for him to waste her treasured blood essence. Gale said nothing, as her presence was reassuring to him.


    He drifted his consciousness back to the other angelic being.


    ''I got the blood, now what?''


    [Now you sit down and absorb it,] Saarya''s voice came instantly, as she never left or went on a slumber in the meantime he was haggling with Maya.


    Gale sat cross-legged and calmed his breathing, as much as he could with the circumstances he was in. He was working with his Qi sense just around him to not act as a nuisance.


    ''Absorb,'' he repeated, ''should I drink it?''


    [Gale, you can a long away in spirit art to still behave like a crude barbarian,] Saarya told him in a hard tone. [No, you won''t drink, I fear your little senior sister would be really disappointed in you if you do so.]


    ''Then what?'' Gale asked.


    [You''ll open your spirit and channel the blood through it.]


    ''Open my spirit?'' Gale tilted his head. ''I''m not even sure if I can achieve that. What is the spirit anyway? I faintly remember how I got the scars, but I was too much in pain to notice anything.''


    [You know how to open your spirit,] Saarya told him with a mental sigh. [You have already done it multiple times. It is like that when you connect your Qi to the natural energy of the realm.]


    ''Oh that,'' Gale mused, as realisation dawned on him. ''I thought that was called Spiritual Qi resonance.''


    [Yes.]


    ''You could have used that term, other than putting it like it in a vulnerable way.]


    [Because it is,] Saarya paused. [Never mind. I forget how conversations tend to go on tangents forever. Open the text tube, open your Spirit and link up. Then draw that energy within yourself, and channel.]


    ''Sound easy enough.''


    [You think,] Saarya scoffed.


    Gale did as he was told, calming his mind to get the one-track mind vibe again. Thest time he achieved that, it was pretty easy, though it left himpletely devastated, even though he channelled a little of the storm''s energypared to what he was open to.


    Now he was about to do the same thing again, though with a different energy.


    Gale let his extrinsic spiritual awareness drift off into the test tube, creating a between oneself and the blood.


    [Now channel inwards in a cycle,] Saarya told him. [Don''t let even a wisp of its potency to lose.]


    Gale followed as he was told and the moment the potent blood got in contact with his spirit, his whole body jolted in an excruciating burning.


    [In a way, this won''t be much different from the second cmity of our race,] Saarya''s voice came to his mind as Gale sucked in fresh air into his heart. [Which means you''ll go through the first two cmities of the Celestial Radiance at once. I can''t wait to see what you be.]


    There was something eerie in her tone that Gale didn''t like. ''Two cmities, huh,'' Gale mused inwardly. ''Well, the weakest too, I think I can handle them.''


    [Well, even though they were the earliest, they certainly weren''t the weakest. The first two mostly test the practitioner''s conviction and drive. There''s no failure, but there''s no limit to the trial as well. In a way, all trials of our inheritance are like that, however, the first twoid the future path for the younglings.


    [Also, those who survived two cmities of our race can be as strong as a gold ranker, so you better do your best.]


    Gale groaned, but there was no point in regretting now. He channelled the potent energy of the blood through his spirit, creating a cycle. He hadn''t done that the other time with the storm''s energy. Gale merely drew in the storm''s energy and drive it into attacks that still left him broken and battered.


    Thankfully, the celestial radiance blood wasn''t vtile as the storm. However, he certainly wasn''t enjoying the excruciating agony they were bringing to his spirit. Small cracks and tears started to appear in his spirit within two minutes, causing Maya toe forward at him, her eyes full of anxiety.


    "Gale, what did you do?" she asked. "You better have a n to survive this, or I''ll stop the process myself."


    ***


    Almost a day passed since Wang Li came to Stormhold, and the sky was still dark for the entire day. Although the storm had stopped, the looming darkness seemed to have taken its ce, boring onto thend of the farm and outside.


    Fen or the blind Oracle apprentice had no answer for this change, and they weren''t fool enough to check it with their strength, either. So they were waiting for Sun Ziang toe back with some news.


    Wang Li was hoping he woulde back along with Xiaolin, Gale and Vale, and they would get out of this trouble together, but so far that had only been her reminiscence thoughts. Reality didn''t y out as she had hoped.


    With nothing much to do in the farm other than making food and worrying, Wang Li spent most of her time cycling, as it was the only way for her toe down. She could feel she was close to the Iron breakthrough. The ambrosia seemed to be the cause of this, as it gave her the boon she needed for the break though.


    Unfortunately, she was neither prepared nor in a fair state to go on with it.


    On top of that, it seemed they have another thing to worry about.


    Fen came running back to where Wang Li and Ai were practising in the open, her expression hard with irritation.


    "It seems we have a problem," the handsome circus master said. "Wild beasts areing to take over the farm."


    Wang Li frowned, ending her cycling. "Shouldn''t the script formation protect us?"


    "I should," Fen said, her voice filled with annoyance, "sadly, there''s a big hole in it in the east side. I already killed a bunch of iron-ranked wild monkeys and stuffed that ce with logs, but I don''t think it wouldst long. Even a single silver-ranked beast can break through, and It would be difficult for me to keep them at bay if a bunch of silver-ranked beasts came along."


    "The mountain hardly have that many silver-ranked beasts, as far as I know," Wang Li said, considering. "Most of them stay deep in the wilderness and didn''t bother with humans."


    "That seems to be right in normal circumstances, but do you feel this looming darkness is a normal circumstance? Spirit beasts are scared like every one of us. They want to get out of this as much as we do."

 Chapter 233 226 Trial (1)

    Chapter 233 226Trial (1)


    Shi Fan had never seen such an elegant man in his entire life. Stark silver-haired left


    unbound on the elegant man''s shoulder, swaying along the wind as he peered into the


    darkness.


    His eyes seemed to be glowing in a silvery light, which seemed able to pierce through


    the darkness that had been looming over the ce after the storm. Supposedly, he


    was a newly appointed enforcer, but with that look and the ability he showed, Shi Fan


    was sure the elegant could do a lot better than that.


    On top of everything, the man was polite as any person could be, radiating a noble air


    that very few could muster.


    "I fear we lost our way," Sun Ziang said, his expression contemtive, considering the


    circumstances from a different point of view. "The mountain is confusing, it isn''t the


    first time I have lost my way here. I think something here messes with our senses."


    "Agreed," Shi Fan was ready to agree, not because he wanted to suck up to the man,


    but because he came across such a problem on more than a few asions to turn it


    into a concern. "I have spent a couple of months in this wilderness, and the only way I


    managed to not get lost is by not drifting off without a n and measuring every little


    advance I made.


    "Still, even with all that preparation, I found myself in the middle of nowhere more


    than a couple of asions."


    Sun Ziang narrowed his eyes at the shorter man, causing Shi Fan to look away. His


    friend Twilight was silent as ever, unapproachable with the eerie air surrounding her.


    "I suppose we can only move forward," Sun Ziang said. Theirpass wasn''t working,


    nor were there any stars or moons to help them get the direction, all they could do


    was move forward.


    Twilight disappeared from their view on her duty to act as a scout, even though Shi


    Fan was pretty sure the white-haired noble son could sense pretty much everything


    around them, musky darkness or brood sunlight.


    It didn''t take long for them toe across another pack of wild animals again.


    Twilight came back to deliver her finding, though she lingered a little even though her


    findings should be obvious, which led Shi Fan to think, perhaps not everything was


    obvious.


    "Is anything wrong?" he asked.


    "Wild beasts are fighting," Twilight said, "over herbs. I think they broke out of a


    dungeon."


    Unconsciously, Shi Fan turned his head to meet the white-haired noble''s gaze.


    "Is this an overflow?" Sun Ziang asked.


    Twilight shrugged, unsure.


    Supposedly, dungeons in this region never overflow, considering how low the energy


    density here, however, that changed after the density rose to a tremendous degree. It


    was easily a dozen times over anywhere in the mountainpared to what it was a


    day ago. However, it seemed to bring some disaster over the mountains as well.


    "Should we go over there and look?" Shi Fan asked.


    "We are moving around for hours," Sun Ziang said with a sigh. "We might as well have


    a look."


    ***


    Sun Ziang hadn''t had time to properly practise hisbat powers since he came to


    the town. Although there were a few silver rankers, none of them could be his


    sparring partner. So his spirit arts hadn''t improved much since he was deported to


    this town, well, save for the time when he had to fought reaper wolves and Murder


    monkeys for hours in the mountains.


    That had been pretty hard and challenged his bottom line. But now, withpanions,


    he might preferably want to have another go with them. The only problem was


    Twilight''s acquaintance. The young man was an iron ranker, and quite good for his


    rank. Well, he survived the mountain alone, so there was that.


    But Sun Ziang couldn''t hope for him to contest with more than one silver-ranked


    beast.


    ''Well, I guess I''ll check the dungeon first and decide after,'' Sun Ziang thought. ''We


    aren''t that deep into the mountains anyway.''


    It didn''t take long for them toe across the wild beasts, which were none other


    than the Murder Monkeys, a whole pack of them fighting among themselves over


    some herbs. No, it wasn''t some herb. . .


    "Moonlight Azure root," Shi Fan muttered, his eyes growing greedy. Well, why


    wouldn''t he be, Moonlight Azure Root was one of the finest herbs to refine your Qi


    with. It could raise the purity of one''s Qi by another notch, which might not benefit


    much in the short term, but there was no second way to achieve a higher rank


    without purifying Qi to a higher order.


    Sun Ziang''s Qi was already pure enough to the standard of gold rankers, he had no


    need of these herbs, though his cousin could have helped herself if he had brought her


    with him.


    ''Thank the unseen god, I didn''t bring her here,'' Sun Ziang thought as he found the


    beasts changing their ire to their direction.


    Sun Ziang strength, unsheathing his broadsword. There were about a dozen


    silver-ranked Murder Monkeys, he could have to deal with them alone, but there was


    no need for it, as it seemed.


    "Twilight, you''d do your thing," Sun Ziangmanded, even though he couldn''t find


    the figure anywhere near them. Well, her duty was mostly scouting, though he


    wouldn''t mind some help when he was in a pickle. Hopefully, he wouldn''t be with


    these beasts. "Look after your friend while I deal with this."


    Sun Ziang didn''t wait for a reply and threw himself in the middle of the beasts,


    weapon drawn, Qi pulsing through his veins. Sparkles of light shed the moment Sun


    Ziang drew his sword. He seemed to be always ahead of the beast''s attack, his sword


    moving in perfect arcs, killing the robust apes, spraying red-hot blood all over.


    Oddly enough, none of it smeared on Sun Ziang''s dress, it remained perfectly d


    white dropped on his shoulders as he massacred on his own.


    With Twilight and his help, Shi Fan only has to face one, though he figured they left it


    for warming him up. One should be doable for him.


    ***


    Gale was workingpletely on instinct now, his mind already pulled everything to


    protect itself from losing into the excruciating pain.


    The fate core stopped blinking with blinding light, ending the first portion of its trial.


    It moved in to reside inside Gale''s body now, although the process hadn''t finished yet.


    Well, it would''ve finished by now, if not for the other thing he was doing with Maya''s


    blood.


    The blood seemed to have awakened something else within the fate core as with


    Saarya''s interest and intervention it touched his spirit as well, more intimate than any


    fate lock was supposed to be.


    [Don''t fight it,] Saarya told him, [ept the core within your Spirit. Let it transform


    you with the blood.]


    But Gale wasn''t listening. His mind already went on intrinsic level autopilot, finding


    his sanity was at stake.


    No matter what Saarya tried, Gale wasn''t listening. In the end, she could only try one


    thing to wake him up. Gale wasn''t going to like it very much.


    Saarya pushed forth with her spiritual power and pped Gale''s spirit body, which


    wasid bare before hard, hard enough that it would create a ripple over the power he


    was channelling, rendering his physical body to lurch up in a quick motion.


    Gale awoke into a shudder as he red his state in a fighting stance, ready to fight the


    first enemy he saw, but an empty chamber weed his senses as he pushed forth his


    senses. Everything was alright, other than the insane pain he was feeling.


    He found Maya instructing Xiaolin on various applications of Qi. She noticed his Qi


    Sense drifting along and somehow did something in her aura, which seemed to be


    more like encouraging a p on his shoulder in a spiritual way.


    [It was me,] Saarya''s voice came, but this time it seemed to be booming through his


    head, resonating through his spirit. [Sorry, I figure this would be the shortest way to


    pull you back into reality again.]


    "Reality is full of pain," Gale said with gritted teeth. "How long will thisst?"


    [You alreadypleted the first portion of the trial,] Saarya encouraged with the


    good news, but Gale only groaned.


    ''Which means the worst thing is still left to be put to test,'' he growled at her, hoping


    he would be able to create the booming ripples, but to no avail.


    [Why do you whine when you''re with someone you look up to?] Saarya asked, this


    time in normal transmission. [You wouldn''t have whined so much if you have to go


    through all this alone.]


    ''Hmm, I wonder why,'' Gale muttered inwardly. ''Anyway, that doesn''t change what I


    say, the worse it is yet toe.''


    Saarya didn''t refute his words, causing him to groan again.


    [Stop whining, and get to work.] Saarya appeared to move with her spiritual body to


    p his spirit body yet again, when he waspletely vulnerable, leading Gale to


    straighten up as the ancientdy living within him relented.


    "So now what?"


    [You can form the fate lock if you wish now, but that would make all the suffering


    nothing, you''ll only get a perfect bonding with the radiance core.]


    "Stop trying to waver my resolve, I don''t like it."


    [What? You think you''ll go back to your words?]


    "I might," Gale said, letting out a helpless breath. The pain was already too


    overbearing for him to reconsider why he was suffering so much for.


    [No, you won''t,] Saarya told him, her voice firm and certain.

 Chapter 234 227 Trial (2)

    Chapter 234 227 Trial (2)


    Sun Ziang cleared the little blood from hisbat robe after massacring a dozen or so Murder Monkeys. Half of the lower-ranked beasts had been dealt by the other two, while the rest ran away getting the chance. Sun Ziang didn''tmand them to chase after them as that wasn''t his concern.


    He raised his head to face the lower-rank dungeon overflowing with energy. That was his priority here.


    "This certainly doesn''t feel like a lower-rank dungeon," Shi Fan said as words wheezed out of his throat. He dealt with one silver rank and a few iron-ranked beasts alone. Being a newly advanced Iron ranker the fight had taken away a good amount of his stamina and Qi.


    While Twilight was serenely eerie, standing on the side, her robes fluttering in the wind.


    "Shall we clear out the dungeon now?" Sun Ziang suggested, "Or do you need some rest?"


    "I''m good," Shi Fan managed to say, gritting his teeth.


    "Are you sure, you don''t look that well?"


    "I''m fine," Shi Fan said, his voice still not ready to lose out.


    Sun Ziang narrowed his eyes and nced at his acquaintance, who simply shrugged as this didn''t concern her.


    "Come on," Shi Fan said, walking ahead towards the dungeon, "This is only a copper rank dungeon, even with the overflow, we might be able to solve it within a couple of hours if we try our best."


    The entrance of the dungeon was beaming with purple light and wasn''t big enough to let them enter at once. So when Shi Fan entered they could only follow after him. Thankfully, the dungeon hadn''t spread its position all over the ce.


    However, there was something different about this dungeon. The moment they entered the dungeon they found themselves¡ªnot in a cavern-type dungeon, but still under a naked sky with different kinds of topography. It was still under the cover of darkness, though it was more like an evening than a starless middle of the night. The surroundings were dimly lit with the star and moon''s light.


    Sun Ziang was about to check more when a booming voice assaulted their ears.


    [Wee Contestants to your first trial.]


    [Please affirm your participation and difficulty level.]


    "What was that?" Shi Fan asked, first time experiencing a talking dungeon. "Have you evere across a dungeon like this?"


    Sun Ziang nodded after little thought. "These kinds of dungeons are rare toe across," he said, "because unlike most other dungeons this isn''t naturally formed, but built by practitioners to test aspiring practitioners."


    "You''re saying someone of higher rank created this dungeon and left it here?" Sun Ziang asked, frowning.


    "That was probably thousands of years ago," Sun Ziang affirmed. "Probably some higher-rank practitioner left his inheritance through these dungeon trials."


    Sun Ziang''s eyes lit up hearing that. Even the silent assassin seemed interested as she scanned her surroundings.


    An illusionary image with text appeared before them all, as they exchanged nces toe to amon decision on how to participate in the dungeon.


    [Please select your difficulty level: Easy | Intermediate | Hard ]


    [Easy: A thirty-day survival trial in the wilderness where you have to do misceneous tasks in the meantime. Rewards: Common/Umon Fate marks, Artifacts, or treasures of simr value.]


    [Intermediate: A twelve-day survival trial in the wilderness where you have toplete various misceneous tasks in the meantime: Rare Fate marks, Artifacts, or treasures of simr value.]


    [Hard: A four-day survival trial in the wilderness where you have toplete various misceneous tasks in the meantime. Unique Fate marks, Artifacts, or treasures of simr value.]


    [Participation type: Solo | Group (3/5)]


    "Hmm," Sun Ziang considered, reading the details of the dungeon. A question appeared on his mind immediately: Is this the inheritance Mother wanted me to find?


    Well, the hard difficulty prize seemed good enough, but that certainly isn''t something that could alert a Sovereign. Which led him to think, this was merely the first trial, perhaps there were more after this.


    "Wow, they certainly didn''t cheap out on the rewards," Shi Fan said, eyes filled with hope. "We''re choosing Hard difficulty right?"


    The question was directed at him, but Sun Ziang didn''t answer immediately but turned to face the dark-cloaked figure.


    "How are you guys sure of handling the Hard difficulty?" he asked.


    "I''m pretty confident," Shi Fan said, after a thought.


    Twilight shrugged again, as if it didn''t matter to her whatever difficulty they chooses.


    "Okay, we''re going in the group if none of you opposes," Sun Ziang decided. Finding nobody opposing, he chose everyone else. "As for difficulty, Hard it is."


    [You have chosen to participate in Hard difficulty in a group of three.]


    [May fate be in your favour.]


    With that, aplete stillness dawned between them and the wilderness. They exchanged nces and then something struck them, catching them off guardpletely.


    "My rank," Shi Fan squealed, "I can''t feel my rank."


    Sun Ziang narrowed his eyes, feeling a superior power locking onto his spirit, locking away most of his spiritual power if not all. His silver rank strength was no more, as he couldn''t even exert copper rank strength. The amount of Qi he could wield put him in the list of the lowest of the initiate practitioners.


    That wasn''t all, his physical body strength was suppressed somehow as well. Pinching his skin and muscle, Sun Ziang found he was barely better than a normal human. This shouldn''t be possible, unless. . .


    "Interesting," Sun Ziang muttered and found the other youth panicking. Sun Ziang was ready to calm him down, but his eyes drifted off to the only woman in the group.


    Twilight looked unstable. Her unique state let her interchange between physical and spiritual form, however, now she appeared just semi-corporeal. She was trying to sp her palms together or phase through, but only managed something in between.


    ''This is going to be a problem,'' Sun Ziang thought as another illusionary text expanded before their eyes.


    [Wee to Trial One


    "DAMN! We are screwed!"


    Difficulty: Hard Type: Survival.


    Participants: 3 Time: 4 days.


    Descriptions: Great danger lurks in the surrounding wilderness, but opportunityes hand in hand with the danger. Survive the wilderness for four days andplete the following tasks.


    N.B: The task list will be updated during the trial.


    Tasks:


    1. Collect 300 Copper rank beast cores.


    2. Will be updatedter.


    3. Will be updatedter.]


    "DAMN! We are screwed!"


    ***


    Gale was glowing. Really, he was glowing, and not in a good way.


    ''How many hours has it been yet?'' Gale asked, his spirit overflowing with radiance power from the blood and more from the gem core.


    [You''re almost there, don''t worry about time,] Saarya told him.


    Gale snorted and channelled the power from the core through his spirit. He was already two-thirds down with the core''s power, and already fused with the celestial blood''s power. The only thing left was emptying the core of all its power and fusing it with his spirit. Well, he was already in the midst of the fusing process, but the final touch would point out how much radiance power he would be able to hold.


    While he was in the middle of this trial, Maya came in and out a few times, threw some healing spells at him to help him recover and went away to instruct his disciple. Well, she wasn''t doing simply that, but checking on the outside as well, about the chances the ce was going through.


    A few hours ago, she came along with Xiaolin. Or was it half a day ago? Honestly, Gale wasn''t sure. She told him, she was taking Linlin in the wilderness for her training, as there were some great opportunities for her to train in. Actually, Xiaolin wasn''t ready to go with her, leaving her master in such a state, but with him suffering for so long, she was just restless the entire time, doing nothing but worry.


    That was the reason Maya decided to take her under her wing for the time being. She said they woulde back before he was done with torturing himself.


    Gale just agreed to her with a groan. As long as Maya was with her, he didn''t have to worry about anything. Well, he was in no position to worry about others with what he was going through.


    Thankfully, he had Vale with him, who exerted all his power to protect his sanity.


    [There''s me too,] Saarya reminded him.


    ''Yes, there''s you two, who wouldn''t give me a straight answer.''


    [It is for your own good.]


    Gale snorted mentally.


    "Just tell me how much longer I have to endure this?" Gale asked, gritting his teeth. He had no words to describe what he was feeling. It felt like his spirit was bearing tons of weight and getting wrecked all the way. And while the spirit resonated with this body, it was going through merciless misery as well.


    It was changing him.


    [I''m not certain,] Saarya told him. [Half a day, perhaps.]


    "And it already has been. . . hmm, a week?"


    [It hadn''t been aplete day yet,] Saarya said.


    "Are you sure?" Gale asked. "To me, it felt like a week or more."


    [Trust me, it won''t be that long toplete this, and if you like, I can protect your mind from getting too much affected by the pain, of course, that would create someplications in the trial, but nothing can be solved with proper attention and focus.]


    "Really, what are you walking for then? You think something like this a normal human can endure?"


    [Gale, you aren''t a normal human.]


    __________


    Leave power stones / Golden tickets / or a few words in the review if you like the story.

 Chapter 235 228 Trial (3)

    ?


    They didn''t know why, but wild beasts seemed toe too frequently to attack the farm. Of course, the farmhouse was protected by the script formation. Well, almostpletely. But the couple yards hole in the eastern side cursed their sleep entirely.


    Wang Li helped Fen put a barrier of ironwood on more than three asions, while the handsome circus leader helped herself to twice more, but in thest two days, the barricade had been broken more than within an hour or two by wild beasts.


    Thankfully, despite the barrier not protecting thempletely, it gave enough obstruction for them to be safe for the time being. The beasts had to spend a good amount of time and strength in breaking the hard ironwood wall, and in that time Fen managed to kill them quite fast.


    "This is all because of me," Ai whined for the seventh time. "My imbnce in fortune is affecting you two as well."


    Wang Li didn''t know what to tell the blind girl. Fen remained silent, hearing that enough time that it was a bothering thought. The silver ranker couldn''t leave them to check outside, either, considering how frequent the attacks of the beasts had been.


    Fen groaned as Wang Li tended her wound. "I didn''t know if it was that poor girl''s bad luck or mine that I came across her master."


    Wang Li was pretty familiar with this kind of whining from Fen. Although the woman looked in herte twenties, she was well over fifty years of age, only hidden with her silver rank spirit arts. That was already more than twice her own age. Oddly enough, the age and experience hadn''t made Fen wise, though she was experienced enough to deal with problems like these.


    She liked to whine too much even afterpleting the task and always seemed to be looking out for more danger, even after solving one. She kind of reminded her of a certain foreigner, who had a knack for acting mysterious.


    Wang Li sighed, remembering how she had parted with him thest time. She still couldn''t face the fact.


    "Sister Fen, you haven''t thought of settling down, have you ever?"


    "Settling down?" Fen scoffed. "That thought has been on my mind constantly, however, the life of a travelling troupe isn''t bad either. If you cut out the instances of trouble where I have to help because of all the favour I owed to people when I was young."


    Ai was resting now, so Fen didn''t restrict her mouth from spouting out everything on her mind.


    "You say that, but I think you wouldn''t leave us even if you don''t have to repay some favour."


    Fen snorted. "I couldn''t wait till this end."


    Wang Li sighed. "I''m missing my child, though I''m d that I didn''t bring him into this mess."


    "Kid," Fen muttered. "I don''t know what it would feel like to have one."


    "I think you know it already. You''re the leader of the crew, you know how to be responsible for other people. In a way, both are about the same."


    Fen smiled and shook her head. "I guess I have adopted enough people to not look forward to that. Anyway, I''m going to rest, call me if they break through again."


    Fen stood up and scurried into the building, leaving Wang Li to watch over.


    Wang Li sat in a lotus position and calmed her breathing. She had nothing to do other than cycle silently and watch over now. Of course, she wouldn''t lose herselfpletely to the practice, considering her job was to look for any attack.


    Still, with the higher energy density, even half-hearted cycling put her closer to the iron advancement with each session. Perhaps it would be within a week or two.


    Wang Li hadn''t even spent half an hour like that when she sensed the disturbance again. Several wild animals were beating against the ironwood wall as loud thumps echoed.


    Wang Li cursed as she stood up and rushed to the mansion to call Sister Fen. Thankfully, the silver ranker was already awake hearing the disturbance.


    With a sour look on her face, Fen lunged down from the staircase with a spear on her arms.


    ***


    Gale was sprawled, broken and tattered on the ground of the chamber as Vale licked his face. The process of changing his spiritual nature ended, and it left himpletely drained and empty.


    He feared it would take him months before he would be able to recover his Spiritual fatigue.


    [Hmm, I thought you''d be more interested in all the new abilities you got,] Saarya''s voice entered his mind as she applied some of her healing power on him. [At least stir your newly found regeneration power, you''ll feel much better after that.]


    Gale groaned and stirred whips of Qi into the mostly empty core in his abdomen. That wasn''t his Gem heart, but the Radiance fate lock core, which they worked together to make a temporary core for himself.


    With this, Gale had a lot more Qi to spare. He was almost as rich with Qi as he had been when he was in his fair state.


    "Wow," Gale muttered, as he felt the changes in his spirit and body. He wasn''t even sure he could point out all the changes with this minute inspection.


    [Do you want me to point them out?] Saarya asked, her voice merry.


    "Knock yourself out," Gale said, and used the radiant power to heal himself. He wasn''t sure he was using it right.


    [It is pretty hard to control, but don''t worry you''d get there,] Saarya said. [So, you have noticed the radiant Qi already, that''s already in the gold rank, however, you''d be surprised when you know your regeneration speed. It is almost triple what it used to be.]


    "Really?" Gale sat upright and couldn''t believe her words. "Wouldn''t that fix most of my problems?"


    [Along with regeneration speed, you have the Radiance Regeneration power, Cleaning spell, Purging power, and pretty much most of the Radiance power, though you have much to learn to master them all.]


    "Obliterating Light too?" Gale asked, intrigued.


    [Probably, you wouldn''t know for sure until you dip into the universalw of light.]


    Gale sucked in a deep breath.


    [And that wasn''t all. . .]


    "Please, don''t tell me I have the wings too."


    [You guessed it right, though I feared your wings would be semi-corporeal, but you''ll definitely see an improvement in your flight speed.]


    "I guess I''m fine, as long as it doesn''t make me look like a knock-off angel."


    [You look good,] Saarya told him, grinning, [Almost ready to pick up gals.]


    Gale snorted. "That reminded me, Maya and Linlin hadn''te back."


    Gale focused on the bond between him and Linlin as a general direction came to his mind. "Perhaps I''ll go and look for them."


    [At least put a pants before you leave.]


    Gale grunted, looking down to find all his clothes had burned down. Then his eyes lit up. "Hey, can I do Light conjuration magic?]


    [You have the ability, but you shouldn''t be capable of it at this moment,] Saarya told him. Hearing her Gale was ready to try, but Saarya added quickly to stop him. [I''ll advise against it, any type of configuration magic pulls a lot from the spirit, and your spirit is barely in a patch-up state, you better wait until you heal properly.]


    Gale rested his thought as he had been through enough torture for the day. He opened his void lock to brought out a tunic out.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    "Did you hear that?" Gale asked, feeling the unrest in his left arm.


    [Yes.]


    "What was that?" Gale asked.


    [Calling.] Saarya provided no further exnation as Gale draped on the tunic and adventure pants.


    Along with Vale, he got out of the secretir toy his eyes on the looming darkness of the surroundings.


    "This isn''t anticlimactic at all," he snorted in sarcasm. "Did I cause this all?"


    Saarya was silent.


    Gale didn''t ponder on that much and focused on his new power, which would enable him of the Radiance wings. Gale forced himself as if he was constipated for several seconds, pushing a lot of radiant Qi through the core to his back as atst a golden semi-corporeal wing spread behind him, wide but not as morous as the real thing.


    Gale inspected it for more than one instance, the sublime shape of it, and how it tore his tunic in the back.


    "I guess this will do," He muttered as he flew up in the air. The moment he elerated though, his face split into a wide grin. "Yeah, this will do!"


    His speed was easily twice as fastpared to when he was using Stormstong to fly, and more importantly, he hadn''t released Stormsong to help with the flight either. It was simply with radiant power.


    Only then he noticed, he didn''t need to release Radiant power like he had to do with other fatelock power.


    ''Is it because of all the agony I endured?"


    [You guessed that right,] Saarya answered. [The Radiance isn''t simply a fate lock power for you, but you made it your own. That''s why you have full ess to it.]


    Within two minutes, Gale reached where he found Linlin''s presence vanished.


    It was in front of a dungeon.


    "They have entered the dungeon without me," Gale muttered and waited for Vale to join him. When he did, he didn''t wait ceremoniously and entered the dungeon as well.


    A booming voice weed him and Vale.


    [Wee contestant to Trial One.]

 Chapter 236 229 Trial (4)

    ?


    "Huh, this is like an RPG," Gale said, reading the text expanded before his sight.


    There were three difficulties in the dungeon, depending on the time limit on them. A month, twelve days and four days. Gale grunted, reading that.


    "Do I have to wait that long for them toe out?" he muttered. Not to mention, he wasn''t certain which difficulty they had joined the trial as. Or will theye in this way at all, or will they be deported to the next trial after they pass this one?


    He wasn''t certain, so he decided to converse with an olddy who had over ten thousand years of experience in this business.


    [Who are you calling an olddy?] Saarya snorted into his mind.


    ''Technically, I didn''t call,'' Gale pointed, "just thought. There is a clear difference between that.''


    [Not when your thoughts are clear to me,] Saarya told him.


    ''But that didn''t change the fact that you''re old, though,'' Gale pointed, grinning. "You''re still older than civilization, or was it more?"


    Saarya only grumbled and didn''t say anything anymore.


    Gale sighed. ''So, what do you think about this dungeon?''


    [Don''t know anything for certain,] Saarya snorted. [This dungeon could be older than I.]


    Gale opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out of his mouth for a time. ''How long was it?''


    Saarya didn''t answer that question. [From what I can see, whatever that took over thend is changing the topography, for better or worse. You read the prompt, what do you think of this?]


    ''The reward made me feel this was a scam,'' Gale said straight. "You know how much shit I have to go through.


    While in this, I merely have to go through a survival trial."


    [The trial can kill you,] Saarya added. [Still, this is better than any other inheritance ground you came across.]


    ''So, are you telling me this isn''t a scam?''


    [As I said, this mechanism is here before even my birth, when gods used to roam the world, it would be a cruel joke if that turns out to be a scam. Besides, fate locks and other inheritance were more avable at that time, so I''m not that surprised to find unique prizes in the hard difficulty.]


    "Tsk," Gale clicked his tongue. "When was this when I was in need of unique grade fate locks."


    Gale found Vale eying him suspiciously. Gale couldn''t help but crouch down and caress the hound.


    ''Do you have any idea if they would be sent to the next trial after seeding in the first?'' Gale asked, which was his most concern at this moment.


    [I''m as lost until you enter the trial,] Saarya said, [which you have to do if you want to get out of this sealed realm, I fear.]


    Gale grunted.


    [Don''t look down on it, because ancient people leave this inheritance for a purpose.]


    Gale was about to ask what that purpose might be, when Vale urged him, woofing loudly.


    "What is it, boy?"


    Vale pulled his pants and then started rushing southwards as if wanting Gale to follow.


    [He probably noticed something significant, you should follow him.]


    Gale didn''t need her reminder. The semi-corporeal wings spread behind him as he flew in the darkness, following Vale.


    ***


    A couple of splinter of thick ironwood were sent flying as a huge head of a violent murder monkey loomed in the hole it created. It screeched, finding the people inside, proceeding to break through the wall of ironwood.


    "Goddamn it," Fen cursed, "It''s a gold rank spirit beast."


    Wang Li''s mind chilled as she heard her. She was about to yell about running away into the house, but Fen already shot for the berserk monkey, a long spear in her arms.


    Fen was ready to deal critical damage to the beast as it was busy in breaking through. However, her spear felt a tremendous obstruction when she plunged it through the hole the beast created. Her attack barely dealt any damage to the beasts. And before she could understand what she was facing, the wall of ironwood was no more.


    The beast plunged through its horrifying body. It was already three metres tall, with long muscr limbs with dagger-like ws.


    "Wang Li, move into the house," Fen called after her, as she withdrew too. The beast wasn''t letting her go though, it came at her, growling with all its fury.


    Fen didn''t engage directly with such a beast, but tried to direct it away from the mansion.


    "Sister Fen, you can''t," Wang Li yelled after her, standing on the stairs of the house. "Come to the house, it can shelter us."


    Wang Li wasn''t that sure about that, but since Gale put enough defence that it could stop a Gold rank beast froming into the farm, the mansion''s defence mechanism should be even better. Well, she hoped.


    "You go inside," A voice said to her. Wang Li turned to find Ai looming over her with a short stick life staff in her hand. she hadn''t noticed when the blind girl came and stood behind her. "Don''t argue, be quick."


    Wang Li listened as she was the weakest of the trio. The blind oracle apprentice moved a few more steps to yell at the older woman.


    "Sister Fen, don''t worry about the beast. Run into the mansion, we''ll be safe."


    "How sure are you about that?" Fen asked, groaning as the beast sent her sprawling on the ground. She already lost her spear.


    "Very," Ai answered.


    Fen rolled on the lush grass and stood up again. She didn''t give the beast onest look, but put her beast effort into running towards the house. Only a hundred metres away.


    Hopefully, she could outrun the beast.


    However, that was not to be. The murder monkey was already on her trail, and it didn''t take a couple of seconds for its horrifying presence to loom over her.


    Fen already cursing her luck, pushing herself harder, enforcing all her Qi. Oddly enough, the horrifying ape tripped the instance it was supposed to catch her.


    Fen rushed with new vigour, and found the blind girl with glowing silver eyes, her stick glowing faintly in the same colour as well.


    Fortune was weird. But Fen would take it as long as it saved her life. By the time the beast stood back up and chased, she was already close to the staircase.


    She didn''t wait for whatever the blind girl was trying to ur, but pulled her into her embrace and carried her into the house.


    Wang Li used her token to close the entrance after they entered as the huge beast crashed into the building the next moment.


    Fen had her heart in her throat, and she wasn''t the only one, but they sighed in relief when they found what happened to the beast in the next moment.


    A shimmer of golden light zed on the entrance where the beast crashed in, and then an impactful force pushed out of the formation, which sent the huge beast flying a dozen metres.


    All three of them let out an exasperated sigh of relief.


    "This house is awesome," Fen said through her pants.


    "It isn''t done yet," Wang Li said, finding the beasting for them yet again.


    The beast was sent flying yet again when it crashed into the entrance. A simr scene yed out again and again.


    "How long do you think this can hold on?" Wang Li asked. She could see the distance the beast was sent flying was decreasing with each time.


    Nobody had an answer for that.


    "What if more beasts came in through the hole now?" A dark premonition came to her as she felt the chill.


    "We''ll be alright," Ai said after a while, leaningpletely on Fen. "The owner of the house is already on the way."


    As Ai finished, they didn''t have to wait for much longer as they found a ray of golden light shot through the sky to enter through the eastern hole. It came flying straight to the beasts andnded between the house and the beasts.


    "You aren''t wee here," announced the owner of the Stormhold.


    A huge furry hound came running into the farnd next and blocked the path of the huge monkey.


    "Woof!" Vale growled furiously, ready to curve his ws into the beast.


    "Rx, boy, let me deal with this," Gale said, as he swirled his radiant power.


    The murder monkey growled at Gale, rushing at him in four limbs. Gale spread his wings wide, forcing out radiant Qi as a blinding golden light shed out of him to the beast.


    "Not intense enough," Gale muttered as the Radiance was merely able to blind the beast for an instant without dealing any damage. It still crashed into him, blindingly.


    Gale danced in the air, his wings spinning along to cut through the tough skin of the beast.


    The monkey screeched as it lurched its w at him. Gale flew up and dodged easily, his speed instantaneous with his Intent. He was liking his very much.


    He buckled his knees, flying behind the beast. Without considering, he crashed his foot into a horrifying drop-kick onto the beast''s head, flinging it away as blood smeared on the air.


    It sprawled on the ground, unmoving.


    "Did I overdid it?" Gale titled his head. The beast wasn''t moving, although wasn''t dead, it will be soon.


    Gale turned his head and found threedies, eyeing him as relief washed over them. He certainly hadn''t hoped to find any one of them here, much less the innkeeper.

 Chapter 237 230 Divination (1)

    ?


    Gale could visibly see thedies rxing as the murder monkey breathed out for thest time. Gale peered at the beast one final time, inspecting the unrest in its dwindling spiritual aura. It had been even more visible when it was alive, providing evidence that its advance to gold was far from being natural.


    The beast hadn''t advanced not long ago, probably the shift in the environment was the catalyst of that.


    Leaving the corpse there, Gale walked up the stairs to the mansion, Vale following, reverting to his merry cute appearance.


    He found the threedies gawking in his direction, even though one of them was blind. Gale wasn''t sure how to start the conversation after he entered, but thankfully, Wang Li helped there.


    "Thank god, you''re in a fair state," Wang Li stated, her eyes moving to Vale to return to Gale. "Where''s Xiaolin? She came with Vale before us?"


    "Don''t worry, she''s fine," Gale said, finding her worried. "She''s with my Senior apprentice Sister."


    Wang Li sighed in relief, but he couldn''t say she waspletely relieved.


    "Where are they?" Wang Li asked.


    "That. . ." Gale paused. "My Senior apprentice sister is training her, I''ll exin moreter. But first, you need to treat her first."


    Gale''s eyes pointed towards the handsome woman, who was the only one sitting, clutching her chest. Fen wasn''tpletely unobstructed when she faced the gold-rank beast. Although not critically injured, she was bleeding out, with a heavy injury on the side of her chest, not to mention the sheer number of bones cracked with this little conflict.


    "I''ll live," Fen said, gritting her teeth.


    "Sister Fen," Wang Li said, her voice rmed as she hobbled to help the older woman. She moved her fate look, which had the appearance of a scarf, to move out of her person to wrap around Fen''s wound in the chest.


    She transferred all the life energy her rank let her exert to heal the injury, but it wasn''t really that easy to help a silver ranker with her copper rank strength, even with a unique fate lock.


    "Let me help too," Gale said as he closed his eyes, focusing on the recovery spells he should be capable of casting. A soft white ball of light appeared on her palm as Gale poured more recovery energy into it. Finally, when he was done with the spell, he shot it into Fen''s chest, causing the woman to shudder visibly. After a little while, she moaned and her face got a little better.


    "I feel much better," Fen said.


    Still, Wang Li proceeded to check on her wounds, stripping off her clothes.


    Gale looked away. He considered for a moment and move into the house, leaving Vale there if there was any need.


    "I need to look at the damages the formation bore," he said and moved into the central hub of the formation.


    About a quarter of an hourter, Gale came back after finding the solution for all the damage the formation bore. He found all the women still in the drawing room, resting on the couch. The injured troupe leader slept after Wang Li changed her clothes.


    "So when will Xiaoline here?" Wang Li asked.


    Gale didn''t answer her question but asked one of his. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked. "Don''t get me wrong, you''re always wee, but you should know something''s very much wrong with this ce."


    "I was worried about you," Wang Li said and looked away, "and Xiaolin and Vale."


    Gale narrowed his eyes at her. He wanted to have a private talk with her but now wasn''t the time.


    "And what about you, Miss Ai?" Gale asked, turning his head to the oracle apprentice.


    "I had a vision of a disaster," Ai answered straightly.


    "Is there anything more?" Gale perked an eyebrow.


    The blind girl nodded as she continued, telling him about what they encountered aftering here. He was startled to know Sun Ziang and Twilight were here with them, but he feared they probably entered the dungeon trials, considering this was exactly the inheritance ground the noble son was here for.


    After they were done with their experience, Gale exchanged information about what he found out so far. Honestly, it wasn''t much, and most of it was grim news.


    "The whole mountain range and more went through a spatial discement, through some ancient mechanism," he said gravely. "I''m afraid we''repletely cut off from the world."


    "What does that mean, exactly?" Wang Li asked, narrowing her eyes. She didn''t have the background to understand most of it, but the little she understood it seemed gravely bad news to her.


    "Meaning we can''t get out of this ce that we came in," Gale said with a sigh. "An ancient trial ground is open for everyone to try, I think we have to beat the trial to get out of this. Of course, I can be wrong. Thankfully, we have an oracle with us."


    "An apprentice oracle," Ai corrected.


    "Well, you''re familiar with the art of divination, right?" Gale asked.


    Ai nodded.


    Gale sighed in relief. "I''ll need your expertise then. I hope I can count on you."


    Ai looked ufortable as she heard him. "I''m afraid I''ll need some time. My fortune imbnce won''t let me divine anything properly, I would need at least a couple of days."


    Gale frowned and eventually shrugged. "Well, Xiaolin is with Maya, it''s not like anything can happen to her. I guess, I''ll have to wait a couple of days then."


    Then again, he had some work left to do, not to mention he required a proper rest after the long hours of suffering.


    "What are you nning?" Ai asked.


    "For now?" Gale said, "I intend to repair the formation so that you guys have no problem when I wasn''t here, that would already take half a dozen hours to half a day. Then I''ll have to rest and wait for your fortune to recover."


    With that, Gale moved to repair the defence formation.


    ***

 Chapter 238 231 Divination (2)

    ?


    The script formation needed more of his time than Gale had imagined. The hole that those assassins created destabilised the adjacent formations too, making them lose more power, as scripts were supposed to have a clear energy cirction path in a symmetrical way.


    So instead of one, Gale had to repair three parts of the formation. Well, thankfully, only one of them required aplete re-establishment.


    After a few hours of constant scribing, Gale was down with the hole. Now he just had some tending to do with the other ones. In the meantime, a few wild animals came to try their luck, but Gale just scared them away, ring his Qi.


    Oddly enough, the torture of his spirit let him have better control of spirit resonance.


    Gale was halfway done with the work when Wang Li came, trays of food in her arms. She didn''t meet his gaze, working to avoid as much as she could.


    "Thank you," Gale said, biting the sandwich he taught her.


    Wang Li nodded and was ready to leave, but Gale caught her palm before she could do so.


    "Wait," he said. "I have something to say to you."


    Wang Li didn''t turn to meet his gaze, shuddering.


    "I know I made a grave blunder the other night," Gale said, "but I hope you''ll give me a chance."


    "Please let me go. You don''t have to exin anything."


    Gale didn''t let her go. He moved to face her, even though Wang Li was staring down on the earth.


    "I said I''ll take responsibility," Gale whispered softly, "Give me a chance."


    He closed the distance between them and touched her chin to make her meet his gaze. Wang Li bit her lips, her lips quivering, ufortable with the conversation.


    He pressed his palm on her cheek as she closed her eyes, quivering. Wang Li shuddered to his touch, her legs weakening.


    "Give me a chance," Gale whispered.


    Abruptly, at that right moment, a cursed beast crashed into the formation Gale just repaired. Although it hadn''t managed to damage the formation, the disturbance brought both of them out of the moment they were having.


    "I''ll go," Wang Li said, breaking off from his touch. "You deal with the beasts."


    She sprinted away from there, Gale watching her back as he sighed. ''Slow and steady steps,'' he told himself and got back to work.


    ***


    Gale spent the day after mostly resting, though he figured he couldn''t really restpletely without getting out of this space. Still, some time in the bath along with a quality sleep, he was mostly himself again.


    In thest two days, he barely met Wang Li as she seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, fearing that their conversation would take a weird turn she wouldn''t like. This left Gale mostly in unrest.


    Thankfully, he had plenty of work to do to keep himself busy.


    The first came was making some divination through Ai. Oddly enough, he didn''t have to remind the blind girl of that, as she came to him when he was practising his new power on the couch after her fortune was replenished.


    "Let''s go, I don''t think wasting time idly is the right move."


    Gale narrowed his eyes at her. It seemed much of her confidence was rted to the amount of fortune she had. "Do you know where we are supposed to go?" he asked, perking his eyebrows.


    "To the dungeon, right?" Ai said. "Of course, I don''t know the way, which is why I had to depend on."


    Gale nodded as he stood up.


    "Can Ie along?" Wang Li asked.


    Gale was considering answering when the blind girl took his ce to give her the answer she would like to hear.


    "Yes, your presence is much required," Ai said. "I''m afraid you won''t be able to see Xiaolin for a long time if you didn''te along with us."


    Gale narrowed his eyes, unsure what to say. He found Wang Li looking at him, as if asking for his approval. He nodded as she sighed in relief.


    "Hey, what about me?" Fen asked. In the two days, much of her injuries had been healed, though she wasn''t in her 100%.


    "Sister Fen, your help would be always wee, but I think it isn''t right for me to ask too much of you," Ai said, turning her head to the injured woman. "Besides, I think the four of us will be fine with this job."


    "Four of you?" Fen perked her brows.


    Ai turned her head to gesture right at where Vale was sitting.


    "Oh I forgot," Fen cursed under her breath, "Weird ce, weird people and weird dog."


    "Thanks for all your help, sister Fen," Ai told the injured woman. "You owe nothing to my master anymore."


    "Is that right?" Fen face''s brightened somehow upon hearing that.


    Ai nodded. "You rest, you''ll be safe here." She then turned her head to Gale. "Sir Gale, you might want to give her an ess key, temporarily one will do, take that as a payment for my services."


    Gale smiled as he nodded. He very much liked this confident side of her.


    After being done taking care of everything, the four of them got out of the farmhouse.


    "Alright, the travel by foot will have some inconvenience, I would much prefer if we travel fast," Gale suggested. "I can carry one in flight, while Vale can carry another on the ground."


    Gale looked at Wang Li, wanting to carry her for the journey, but the woman moved away towards Vale, understanding.


    "I''ll be with Vale then," Wang Li said, caressing the hound as Vale licked her. "Ai, you have fun in the air."


    Gale spread his wings on his back, damaging the new tunic he wore, as Wang Li gave him a look. She was curious about where he got the wings from, but not in a position to ask.


    Gale shook his head and moved to Ai. "This will be a bit awkward for you, buttch onto me with everything you have."


    With that, he pulled the blind girl into his embrace, his arms on her back and waist. Ai blushed as she listened to Gale, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Then Gale vanished from the spot. Wang Li stared at where she stood until Vale nudged her, asking her to mount him.

 Chapter 239 232 Divination (3)

    ?


    "Should I fly slower?" Gale asked the girltched onto his chest.


    "No," Ai answered with a hum. "This is actually exciting."


    "Do you want me to go faster?" Gale asked.


    "As long as that doesn''t inconvenience you," Ai said cutely.


    "Hold on tight!" Gale elerated, his speed rising by another notch, though still far from hitting his full speed even without using his third fate lock.


    The blind girl yelped, pressing closer to his chest, her soft modest breast squishing harder as the wind pped against her face. She hung on as Gale flew over the trees, going on in circle as he was pretty lost to the way where the dungeon was situated. Of course, since Vale was there he didn''t bother to remember, not to mention, he could find the way if he focused on the bond.


    Even with all her effort, Ai found herself sliding off from his chest as Gale was going at a tremendous speed. Gale pulled her up as shetched onto his neck again, blushing at the indecent touch and rubbing. She understood why Wang Li left her with Gale.


    The journey wasn''t long, barely took about five minutes even after all the flying in a circle. Galended, his semi-corporeal wings pping down.


    "Here you go," Gale said, letting the girl stand on her feet.


    "Thank you," Ai said. "That is. . . One of a lifetime experience."


    Gale smiled as Vale came in his bigger form, Wang Litched onto his back, her stomach in a twist. Their path had been mostly bumpy.


    Wang Li breathed in and out evenly to calm herself after Vale stopped. Gale helped her stand, catching her before she could fall.


    "Thank you," Wang Li said and moved away.


    "Okay, for the divination," Ai asked, addressing Gale. "What do you want me to divine?"


    Gale considered her words. "As much as your ability lets you without bacsh," he answered her. "The direction should be, about these trials, I guess you''ll have a better idea about if after we enter."


    With that, the four of them entered through the glowing dungeon entrance as a simr message weed them in.


    [Wee, contestants, to Trial One.]


    [Please select your difficulty level: Easy | Intermediate | Hard ]


    [Easy: A thirty-day survival trial in the wilderness where you have to do misceneous tasks in the meantime. Rewards: Common/Umon Fate marks, Artifacts, or treasures of simr value.]


    [Intermediate: A twelve-day survival trial in the wilderness where you have toplete various misceneous tasks in the meantime: Rare Fate marks, Artifacts, or treasures of simr value.]


    [Hard: A four-day survival trial in the wilderness where you have toplete various misceneous tasks in the meantime. Unique Fate marks, Artifacts, or treasures of simr value.]


    [Participation type: Solo | Group (4/5)]


    "Wow, I have never seen something like this," Wang Li said, reading the message that shed before them.


    "Ai, can you interpret them or should I narrate to you?"


    "No need, the message was transmitted to my mind''s eye," Ai said as she grew contemtive. She sat down in a lotus position, her stick-like staff in her hand as she divined.


    "I feared it is as you pointed out, Sir Gale," Ai said after a quarter of an hour. "This seal realm won''t be open until someone passes the final trial."


    Gale narrowed his eyes. "Can you tell me how many trials are in there?"


    "More than three," Ai answered, uncertain of the exact number.


    "Do the dungeons force you to move on to the next trial after you pass the first trial or let you exit?" Gale asked.


    "I can''t tell," Ai answered, her voice solemn, "there''s a powerful veil imnted obstructing from getting any useful information about these trials."


    "Can you divine which difficulty Xiaolin and my senior sister chose when they enter?" Gale asked as that would point out the time they would be able to meet them again.


    If it was Hard, then he probably had to wait a day, if the dungeon let them exit, though he thought it was unlikely. Maya wouldn''t be reckless to take Xiaolin into the hard difficulty.


    "Give me your hand," Ai exined. "You have a deep connection with your disciple, so it will be easier for me to divine."


    Gale listened to her, stooping next to her to give her his right arm. Ai closed her eyes again, her small palm sping his palm.


    This divination didn''t take long, as Ai came to an answer quite easily. "You''ll meet her twelve days from now."


    "Twelve days?" Gale repeated. "Is this a cryptic way of telling me to choose the intermediate difficulty?"


    Ai didn''t answer his question and said something properly cryptic. "If you don''t meet her in twelve days, I fear you''ll miss her for a long time."


    Gale frowned. "Why?"


    "I don''t know."


    This was why he hated oracles. They never have a full answer for anything.


    Gale sighed. "I guess I have to take your word for it."


    "Do you want me to take a soul oath about the authenticity of my words?" Ai offered. "Of course, I n toe with you in the trials, so I think a soul oath will be a fast way to gain trust."


    Gale considered for a moment. That was really a good choice, but then he looked at Vale, who appearedpletely serene.


    "No need," Gale said. "Vale thinks you''re trustworthy, that''s already enough."


    "That means you agree that I cane with you?" Ai asked, her voice hopeful.


    Gale perked his eyebrows.


    "Don''t get me wrong, the rewards are well satisfactory, but I think it is my calling to apany you into the trial," Ai exined. "My master sent me to this town with some cryptic message, saying if I came out of this disaster I''ll be aplete Oracle. I didn''t understand that until I had that vision."


    Gale grunted. "What vision?"


    "I''ll exinter," Ai said, her palm still sping his.


    "Who is your master again?"


    "The grand oracle of the first school of spirit arts."


    Gale groaned. "That white-haired olddy with a high pitch and condescending voice?"

 Chapter 240 233 Divination (4)

    ?


    "That white-haired olddy with a high pitch and condescending voice?" he sighed. "I met her a few months ago, like you, she suggested that Ie to this town as well."


    Ai''s face changed as she heard that. Her shoulders sagged instantly, understanding her master had been ying her a fool for some time now.


    "That doesn''t change anything," Ai said. "Will you let mee with you?"


    "I guess there''s no harm." Gale shrugged. "And I fear I can''t stop you if you want to join the trial. It''s always better together than to suffer alone."


    "Thank you." Ai''s face softened as she let out a breath. "I think I should try to divine as much as I can about the trials. I have a feeling that I won''t be able to after we enter the trial."


    The others waited as Ai lost herself in burning her replenished fortune. A little whileter, her body shuddered as she coughed out blood. Her divination broke.


    Wang Li came forward to support the girl.


    "I''m fine," Ai said, coughing thest bit of blood. "I guess I shouldn''t have pushed forth, but it''s all worth it."


    "What did you find out?" Gale asked, throwing a minor recovery spell at her.


    "I saw ourselves walking in the third trial," Ai answered. "There are others too. Ady of two worlds, A man who sees too much, the maiden of the Sun, The blessed child, and a lost soul."


    Gale groaned again, not a fan of cryptic. He chose to ignore what he couldn''t understand and stood back up.


    "I guess, after we return you to the farm we can enter the dungeon," Gale said, turning to Wang Li, who clearly seemed that she wanted to disagree with him, butcked the confidence to do it.


    "No, I saw her with us in the trial," Ai told them, to their surprise.


    "Are you sure?" Gale asked.


    Ai nodded.


    Wang Li is clearly torn between delight and anxiety. She was delighted that she would be able to see Xiaolin, and anxious that she would be a burden on them if she went on into the dungeon with them.


    "We each have our role to y in there," Ai said.


    Wang Li turned to Gale again, hope kindling in his eyes.


    Gale shrugged. "I guess it won''t be a problem in intermediate difficulty. Oh wait, will the difficulty level affect the possibility of reaching the final trial?"


    [Unlikely,] Saraya said something after a long day.


    "No," Ai answered next.


    "Then it''s settled then," Gale said. "Hopefully, you can get something useful out of this."


    "I only wanted to see Linlin safe," Wang Li said.


    Gale nodded as he chose the intermediate difficulty, and entered as a Group tab, and immediately they were transported to a different location.


    A chill ran down from Ai''s spine as she questioned, "What just happened?"


    "Gale," Wang Li answered, as Gale was mostly busy checking on the new location. "He chose to enter the dungeon right away before we could prepare."


    Ai groaned, spouting out something in frustration. "Can''t you even give us a little time for us to prepare?"


    "What is there to prepare?" Gale asked as a dark premonition dawned on him. "Oh shit!"


    "My iron rank power is sealed," Ai said, her voice solemn. "Even my fate lock powers."


    "Mine too," Wang Li said, her voice simrly panicked.


    "Don''t act surprise, you''re an oracle for all that mattered," Gale reminded her.


    His power too was sealed, almost all of it. Like them, he wasn''t even a copper ranker, and barely had much Qi to work around. All his fate locks were sealed as well along with his physical strength. . .


    Wait, no, he could ess little of the Radiant power. And perhaps the void lock as well, though he would have to check more to see how much he could exert.


    "I''m only an apprentice," Ai said in her dilemma. She was literally shivering in the cold environment that surrounded them. The icy cold air, let her out visible puffs of steam with her every exhale.


    [Wee to Trial One


    Difficulty: Intermediate Type: Survival/Treasure Hunting


    Participants: 4  Time: 12 days.


    Descriptions: Great danger lurks in the surrounding wilderness, but opportunityes hand in hand with the danger. Survive the wilderness for twelve days andplete the following tasks.


    Tasks:


    1. Collect 100 Copper rank beast cores.


    2. Locate the lost temple of A''ian.


    3. Will be updatedter.]


    "Now that''s a proper RPG quest," Gale said brightly.


    Ai and Wang Li gulped as they read the context of the quest.


    "Don''t worry, I''m just brilliant at this," Gale said. "Also, we have Vale."


    "Woof!" The hound barked cheerfully, which did better to cheer up the girls than what Gale managed.


    "Thank the good that we get out of the darkness though," Gale said, ncing around.


    Wang Li agreed, but the blind girl only shook her head, as nothing changed for her.


    All he could find was that the world nketed in a thickyer of pristine and pure white snow, while much of the sunlight obscuring through the thick mist. The snowkes fall gently from the sky, swirling and twirling as they dance their way to the ground.


    "Okay, with only me being experienced in boy scout, I''ll take the role as the leader," Gale told thedies and his friend. Seeing nobody disregarding him, he continued. "To survive in this environment, we need three things. Water, a safe ce to sleep, and food." he paused to added, "And fire too. Well, that makes four things, and turns out there were exactly four of us here."


    Gale turned to Vale. "Buddy, you''re in charge of collecting food. Go hunt down whatever animal you can find, we''ll deal with the other problem."


    "Woof!" Vale barked, bending his head as if saluting. He rushed out of there, his form vanishing in the simrly white environment.


    "Aren''t you worried about him?" Wang Li asked. "Like us, his power should be sealed as well."


    Gale shrugged. "Still, he''s more powerful than the most of us. Also, this yground is advantageous for him." Gale then directed to the other things they have to collect. "Water should be easy to get with all this snow. Which left only a safe ce and fire. Fire would be a little tricky, but I can manage that. So let''s build an igloo first."


    "A what?"


    "A house of ice," Gale exined. "You guys probably have that in your world as well. Anyway, let''s get to work, it''ll keep you warm."


    With that, they moved around for a bit to find a right spot to build the igloo. It was on the opposite side of a slope, which obstructed most of the cold wind. There were plenty of trees around, so he sent Wang Li to collect some dry branches while he built the igloo.


    For four individuals, he needed to have it spacious enough, also not too spacious that the snow would crumble on top of them. He guessed they would have enough space to make a fire, and rest. And they still be with a little free space.


    ______________


    This first trial can possibly be longer than I intended.

 Chapter 241 234 Ice Age (1)

    It took him about a couple of an hour to build the igloo, but his job wasn''t done with that. Since the world was magical, he might as well sprinkle a little of his magic into it.


    Well, considering the restriction, he might only be able to sprinkle a little of his magic. Of course, Gale knew no-nonsense as he scribed in some useful script formations in the igloo, to make sure it was toucher, and wouldn''t just start to melt if they made it inside the igloo.


    It was in the third hour, Gale discovered that there was something magical about the weather. Of course, his keen senses were restricted for him to find out more.


    He had to swirl the inconsiderate amount of Qi every now and then to not freeze up.


    "We''re going to live in this?" Wang Li said after she was done with making the fire.


    "Go inside and check," Gale told her. He was on top of the igloo,ying out script formation. He needed to finish that andy a few rm scripts to be done with the security formation.


    Leaving the blind girl near the fire, Wang Li moved into the igloo. The entrance was a narrow hole, so she had to enter by crawling in on her four limbs. The space seemed even smaller in the inside, wondering how the three of them would maintain privacy in such a close space.


    It was already evening when Vale came back. Thankfully, the houndpleted his task to the beast of his abilities, pulling a huge white boar with him.


    Wang Li caressed Vale lovingly after he dropped the dead boar on the snow.


    "Can you dismantle the boar?" Gale asked her, still on top of the ice house.


    Wang Li nodded.


    "Do it, keep all the fur intact, it will be usefulter."


    After she rested Vale, the hound crept from there to the direction he came from.


    "He probably hunted more than one animal," Gale told her as she busied herself skinning the ice boar.


    By the time, Wang Li was done with skinning and dismantling the boar, there was a heap of corpses next to the house, containing six more huge animals, another boar, two white bears, and three stags.


    Wang Li sighed, looking at the work. It would be midnight when she would be done with that.


    "I''ll take the rest from here," Gale offered her, dropping next to her. "You can roast some meat."


    "Thank you." Wang Li already collected a substantial amount of meat to roast for the night. She was ready to cook when she found Ai breaking into a constant fit of coughing.


    "You''re cold," Wang Li said, resting the meat to help the girl. "You should go inside the house.


    "I''m fine," Ai said, though she certainly didn''t look like it.


    Gale raised his head from the work. He managed a lesser recovery spell of his radiant power and used that on her, touching her forehead.


    "Stay near the fire, or go in the house," Gale advised her. "Also, keep revolving your Qi."


    "I''m fine," Ai said again through her cough. "Just my bad luck working up. I''ll be fine after the night''s sleep."


    Still, Gale worked on with his purifying spell on the skinned boar fur constantly to make it usable quickly. To do that, he had topletely empty his Qi reserves, but after the purification spell and the warm light energy, the fur was bacteria and disease free. It wasn''t even smelling anymore.


    He wrapped the fur around Ai. Not only that, she carried her closer to the fire. He found the frail girl''s face read with that contact, though that could just be the cold.


    Gale let out an exasperated sigh, feeling the weakness. Thankfully, Vale was there to protect everyone.


    "Are you alright?" Wang Li asked.


    Gale was a little startled to find, she was asking him, not the blind girl.


    "I''m fine, just exhausted my Qi," Gale told her. His Qi recovering speed was a lot lower too with the restriction, but it wasn''t just that. Apparently, the Radiance spells just didn''t work with mana, it exhausted his spirit and essence as well.


    "I guess we wouldn''t get fur clothing today," he muttered and got back to skinning the dead animals.


    As the night fell on thend, the air grew even colder, wind rising in their paces. Wang Li moved into the igloo with Ai after she was done with roasting.


    Half an hourter, Gale entered with Vale with seven copper cores in his hands. "Seven core even before the day ends," he told Wang Li, who was the only one awake at that point. "Not a bad start. I guess the trial hadn''t calcted Vale''s ability too well."


    "Of course, Vale''s a good boy," Wang Li said, caressing Vale in her both arm, and also warming herself up with his fur.


    Gale smiled and closed the entrance with another skinned fur, so that cold wind couldn''t enter the igloo.


    "Phew, now it''s much better," Wang Li said. She was at the other end of the igloo, Ai resting in the middle, while Gale was on another side. Vale was with Wang Li, who didn''t seem to want to let go of his warm fur any time soon.


    Gale hadid tree logs as their bed, but it was still cold and ufortable to sleep in. Still better than snow he figured.


    He fidgeted there for a few minutes until he heard Wang Li.


    "Good night," the innkeeper said,ying with Vale in her arms.


    Gale shook his head and literally had to go into deep meditation for the rest.


    ***


    Wang Li awokete in the middle of the night with terrible pressure in her dder. Well, she was awake for a while, the pressure in her dder keeping her awake. She just doesn''t want to be an inconvenience in the middle of the night.


    But now, she wouldn''t wait no more.


    She couldn''t see much in the darkness, and couldn''t go out alone. She considered waking Vale for a moment to apany her, yet she found the hound had walked out when she was sleeping to move next to the other side of his master. Ai, on the other hand, wrapped his arms around the furry dog to keep herself warm.


    Wang Li let out a breath and moved out on her four limbs. She couldn''t go out alone in the middle of the night because of the darkness and wild animal. And. . . Just then, a voice entered her ears.


    "Do you need something?" Gale asked, sitting up.


    Wang Li gritted her teeth, the pressure was just too much.


    "I need to pee."


    Gale didn''t say something for a while, causing Wang Li to grunt audibly.


    "It might be dangerous out there in the night," Gale offered atst. "Let me apany you."


    Now it was for Wang Li to go silent. Perhaps that pressure wasn''t too much.


    "Wang Li?" Gale asked, finding her not answering for a while.


    "Fine," Wang Li agreed as she sighed. She was the first to move, crawling on her four limbs. Gale trailed right behind her, in a simr fashion.

 Chapter 242 235 Ice Age (2)

    ?


    Warning: This chapter contains cringe. . .


    ____


    Wang Li shivereding out of the house as chilly wind pped against her body, swaying her robes. She folded her arms below her chest, standing up.


    Gale came out next, revolving his Qi to not shudder in the coldness. He turned to Wang Li, as if asking why aren''t she proceeding with her task.


    "This is too close," Wang Li said, her voice hard it came out of gritted teeth.


    Instead of waiting for the master practitioner to say anything that could embarrass her again, she moved on into the woods from where they collected the woods.


    There was a sense of abandonment and loneliness in this ce; the world was covered in a thickyer of snow, with the asional howling of the wind and the crunching of snow underfoot.


    The sky was glowing in aurora lights, with snowkes falling from the sky in a never-ending flurry. The wind whipped the snow into icy sts that sting her skin, as Wang Li increased her pace.


    Despite the bleakness of thendscape, there is a haunting beauty to it, with the soft white snow contrasting against the dark and jagged rocks.


    Without knowing it herself, Wang Li had covered far more distance than she needed too. Gale hadn''t stopped her lest it embarrassed her more.


    Atst, she stopped rounding a huge rock. She turned her head to re at Gale. She knew her answer was misced at him, but she couldn''t help it.


    "Move away and turn around," she didn''t know why she had to say that, as Gale had already turned around before she mentioned anything.


    He still moved another ten paces away. "Happy?"


    Wang Li only replied in a grunt. She moved into the obstruction of the rock and crouched down, stripping her lower undergarment.


    As the pressure was released, she finally sighed in relief. Wang Li stood back up and attacked the string of her clothes and walked back to find Gale was still in the same spot.


    With his back turned against her, she could see his wide back through the tears his new wings caused. She found a long spear fate mark along the line of his spine, in addition to the new marks on each side.


    Unconsciously, she drew her palm to touch the mark, which seemed more like a scar than a fate lock. Gale shook a little to his touch, as Wang Li found a little roughness in the scar-like mark.


    It was as if Gale had real wings, and that had been severed from his back to produce scars like that.


    "When did this happen?" Wang Li found herself asking, resting her palm on his back as a shade of red hue appeared on her face.


    "I''m only noticing it now after you touched it," Gale answered. "I guess this is a new addition with my fourth fate lock."


    "How can you not know?"


    "Well," Gale turned to face her, his eyes were warm and gentle as he looked at her.


    Wang Li found her heart shivering as she quickly started moving towards the igloo.


    "The ritual of the fate look had been quite exhausting," Gale told her, walking along. "I was too tired and sore to find. Besides, the fate lock produced another mark."


    Wang Li hummed and didn''t question further. With her quick pace, she was before the igloo in no time, however, before she could enter, Gale caught her hand.


    A troubled look appeared on her face, as Wang Li turned.


    "I have something to say to you," Gale said, his voice quiet and considering.


    He rested her palm after she struggled to get free. Wang Li didn''t stop after that, and crept towards the igloo swiftly.


    "You know you can''t always avoid this conversation," Gale told her. "There''s still more than eleven days to this trial, I''m sure I will find an opportunity to be alone with you."


    Wang Li stopped and turned her head, her expression pained and troubled.


    "Why?" she cried. "Why? I already said you don''t have to do anything, all that was a mistake, you don''t have to be responsible for anything."


    Gale regarded her silently for a while. "But I want to be."


    "Why?"


    Gale remained in silence for enough time that Wang Li thought he had no answer for her question. But eventually, he started:


    "A couple of days ago I found out the woman I loved in my life is miraculously alive. Well, technically alive, though her condition was more peculiar than most. Anyway, I found that the long years hadn''t changed the love I felt for her."


    A knit appeared on Wang Li''s brows. "Then what about Xiaolin?" Wang Li asked, glowering at him. "Do you love her too."


    Gale nodded.


    That glower turned to a re. "How can you love two women at the same time?"


    "I don''t know, it happens I guess," Gale shrugged. "You love Xiaolin like your own live blood too right?"


    Wang Li frowned, but nodded.


    "And you love Rong''er as much, right?" Gale asked.


    "That''s different," Wang Li said.


    "I guess," Gale agreed. "Anyway, I don''t think the love for one can diminish just because your love for another person is just as much."


    Wang Li stood with her mouth hung open, lost for words.


    Gale walked towards her and touched her cheek. "I think I can love you too."


    Wang Li shook off his palm, her eyes wavering, body shuddering in cold and whatever emotion she was feeling.


    "How can you say such a thing?" she asked, her voice cracking.


    "Why? You''re plenty lovable."


    "I thought your standards are high," Wang Li said in a quaking voice.


    "Exactly," Gale told her, but she didn''t seem to understand him.


    "How can you be with such a lowly woman like myself?" Wang Li was visibly shuddering, her eyes cracking to tears. "A woman with a failed marriage, and a growing child."


    "From the world I''m from, it''s prettymon," Gale told her. "Not the polygamy part. I epted that in this world."

 Chapter 243 236 Ice Age (3)

    Chapter 243 236 Ice Age (3)


    Gale awoke to find a body clinging to him, sadly, it wasn''t the woman he wanted. Vale, who was in the middle of them, was nowhere to be seen, so in his ce, Ai clung to him to get a bit of warmth.


    She was still sleeping, her breathing slow and quiet, with a faint redness on her face.


    Gale sat up and found her small figure rising up with him, the way she clung onto him. He checked on her temperature to find it decreased, though still wasn''t normal.


    Gale cast a radiance healing spell on her, as Ai stirred over him, her grip softening. Gale rested her on the ground and sat straighter when a snort came into his ears.


    He found Wang Li moving up from her spot.


    "So have you thought about it?" Gale asked her, joining her on the way out of the igloo.


    Wang Li red at him usingly and remained silent.


    "No pressure," Gale said after her.


    The two of them got out of the igloo to find a new corpse of a colossal ice bear just a few paces away from them. Vale stood atop of it, clearly showing it was his doing. This trial was really going to be easy with Vale.


    As if finding theming out, the hound woofed in delight and leapt over the body. He came straight to Gale, as if asking for a reward for his deed.


    Gale caressed Vale, stooping down. "Who''s a good boy? Who''s?"


    "Woof!"


    Ai woke up half an hourter, and by that point, they had breakfast prepared, the same old roasted meat and hot water. Vale ate thergest part of the roasted meat, even though he liked to eat raw meats on most asions. He was intuitively aware that the raw meats of these creatures weren''t good for his health.


    "So now that we finished breakfast," Gale said, standing up. The mist barely cleared up in the meantime, as a chilly wind blew constantly from the south. "I think we should start thinking aboutpleting this trial."


    Both of the women nodded as Gale continued. "Currently, we have two purposes. First, collecting 100 copper cores shouldn''t be a problem with Vale."


    "Woof!" Vale agreed too.


    "He can find the temple too," Gale said, "but I think the trial would lose its purpose if we leave everything to Vale."


    "What do you propose, then?" Wang Li asked.


    "We should make finding the temple our main priority," Gale said, "which means a lot of scouting work in the cold. I think Vale and I are best for the job."


    Wang Li snorted. "Instead of Vale doing everything, you''re proposing you two do everything?" she said. "That won''t be losing the purpose of the trial?"


    Gale met her gaze and sighed. She had a logic behind her statement, but then again, both Ai and Wang Li were support ss, not to mention he had no idea of their fighting capabilities.


    "Fine by me," Gale said after a thought, remembering Ai''s vision where all of them came safe out of this trial till the third one. "So from now on, two of us will stick here, while the other two scouts for the temple. And we''ll decide by lottery who will be the scouts. Any disagreement?"


    Getting noints, Gale continued. "Since Ai is sick, she''s out of the contest by the rules."


    "I''m better," Ai interjected immediately. "I can safely say my expertise will be greatly helpful."


    "Yes," Gale agreed. "But after you get better."


    Ai turned to Wang for her to voice out herints, but contrary to her belief, the innkeeper exactly had the same thing in mind as Gale. In the end, Ai could only pout in her grieving.


    "That leaves the three of us then," Wang Li said. "How do you want to go on with this?"


    "Obviously with the Rock-paper-scissor," Gale answered as if he was ready for it.


    "What!? Is it something of your world?"


    Gale nodded. "It''s a straightforward game to solve disagreements. Vale already knows the rule, so only you need to learn. Don''t worry, it''s easy."


    It took Gale a couple of minutes, and a few demo games to exin the whole rules of Rock-paper-scissor.


    "Then we''ll begin now," Gale said as both of them draw their palms forward. "If you win, you''ll be one of the scouts."


    Wang Li waspletely focused as they drew their palm for game, unfortunately for her, even with the restriction yed on Gale''s body and spirit his mind worked first enough to beat a newbie like her. Gale simply adjusted his palm to Stone, finding she was going for scissors.


    "Who do I feel like I have been cheated?" Wang Li grumbled, but she could only swallow the regret now.


    "Okay, it is decided I''ll be one of the scouts," Gale said. "The other one will be decided between you and Vale."


    Wang Li shrugged as Vale came up for his match. It turned out Wang Li wasn''t half bad as she beat the hound who had trouble between discerning stone and paper. Well, that was how Gale used to beat Vale on the game most of the time.


    The hound''s demeanour changed visibly to more sadness. Wang Li caressed him, rubbing her face with his.


    "Next time, Vale," she said in an adorable tone as if treating a baby, which Vale was. "You stay here and protect our home."


    "Woof!" Vale barked, his spirit-lifting. He crept away after Wang Li rested her embrace and started circling around like a stout soldier on duty.


    "Our home?" Gale said after Wang Li, shooting a meaningful look.


    The innkeeper snorted and went to prepare for the task ahead of them. Gale had prepared a few daggers and machetes with the animals'' bones to arm themselves up, and with purified animal fur to shield against the cold.


    Within five minutes or so they were prepared to leave.


    "Which direction should we go?"


    "South," Gale answered her, as he was prepared for it. "The win ising from that direction, I think it''s easy to discern that we''ll find the temple southwards.

 Chapter 244 237 Ice Age (4)

    Chapter 244 237 Ice Age (4)


    Gale and Wang Li trudged through the mountainous terrain, their breath forming frosty clouds in the air. Gale gazed around at the starkndscape, his intuition telling him that something was near.


    "There''s magic in the wind," Gale muttered as they climbed the white snowynd, the chilly wild rising the more they traveled.


    Wang Li clutched to the white animal fur over her robes, shivering in the cold, and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "That the wind is magically or rather spiritually augmented," Gale exined. "I don''t know the specifics, but I feel like it was emitting from some special ce, perhaps the temple we are supposed to look for, perhaps another location."


    "Well, that would make it easier, would it not?" Wang Li asked. Although she said that, she wasn''t certain about it, since the cold was already unbearable.


    "We''ll see," Gale said.


    The southernnds were more mountainous, full of ups and downs, and thickyers of snow covered the rugged terrain. Within a couple of hours of moving, their pace decreased as the snowyyer made it difficult, along with the chilly wind that rose both in coldness and sweetness.


    "You know," Gale said, trying to make small talk. He had cast the radiance spell on Wang Li a couple of times so that she wouldn''t get frozen. However, he wasn''t in a tiptop state either, although he was far from reaching his limit.


    "What?" Wang Li asked, turning her head, finding him not saying anything.


    Gale didn''t say anything, peering around as if he sensed something.


    "Gale?" Wang Li called, alert, finding him serious.


    Wang Li scrambled back, her heart racing as the ice golem loomed over her. She "Stand donnn!" Gale shouted. However, before he could finish, something lurched under their feet and sent them flying in different directions.


    Gale sprang into the air, his legs maneuvering tond almost perfectly. Wang Li, on the other hand, wasn''t as skilled and fell on her butt with a huge white monster between them.


    It seemed to be an ice golem, which had been hiding in the snow so far and now towered over them. The creature''s glowing blue eyes flickered with malevolence, and its jagged arms were poised to strike.


    Gale gripped his bone sword with both hands as he sprinted towards the ice golem, lest it chose to go after Wang Li first. He felt the cold biting into his bones as he got closer and closer. The golem''s breaths became visible, and its eyes glowed brighter as it readied itself to attack.


    Wang Li scrambled back, her heart racing as the ice golem loomed over her. She wished she had been more prepared for such an encounter. Gale yelled at the ice golem, and it charged towards him with a deafening roar.


    Gale dodged the first swing of the golem''s arm, barely avoiding being crushed. He leapt into the air and struck the golem''s head with his bone sword. The golem staggered back, but it didn''t seem to be hurt.


    The ice golem swung its arm again, and Gale dodged to the side, narrowly escaping the attack. Wang Li watched, her eyes wide as the two fought. She felt helpless and scared, wondering if they would make it out alive.


    Gale continued to dodge and strike, each hit leaving a small crack on the golem''s icy exterior. The golem retaliated with powerful swipes and sts of icy wind. Gale felt his body grow numb, and his breaths became visible in the cold air.


    Wang Li retreated a few steps, keeping herself out of the battle''s path, but she kept her weapon ready in case she needed to provide support.


    The ice golem charged at Gale, swinging its massive arms in a wide arc. Gale quickly dodged the attack and moved in for a counter-attack. He leapt high into the air, his bone sword glinting in the fading light, and brought it crashing down on the golem''s head.


    The creature roared in anger and retaliated with a flurry of strikes, each one causing an avnche of snow to cascade down the mountain.


    Gale was quick, though. He ducked, dodged, and parried with grace and precision,nding several well-ced blows on the ice golem''s legs.


    Sadly, the creature seemed immune to pain, and its attacks only grew more ferocious with each passing moment. Moreover, no matter what damage Gale caused, it simply sucked in more snow from the ground to recover.


    At this rate, he knew he had to do something drastic to stop the beast.


    "This can''t be happening," Wang Li shouted, noticing that Gale was beginning to tire. "Do you have any way to end it?"


    "We need to find its core," Gale shouted back. "It''s probably in the head or chest. If we destroy that, the golem will be no more."


    Wang Li remained on the back of the golem, her bone sword ready to make it difficult for the golem to move.


    "Get its attention if you can," Gale shouted after her.


    Wang Li plunged her sword into the back of its icy feet, causing it to stagger forward a few steps. Gale seized the opportunity and charged forward, his sword zing with radiant power. He swung his de in a wide arc, cleaving through the golem''s icy flesh with ease.


    But that wasn''t enough, he had to destroy the core.


    Gale climbed on top of the beast, his sword piercing through its thick icyyers of skin, digging deeper into its head.


    The creature let out a final, deafening roar, struggling to throw him off. Gale jabbed his fist into its breaking head as the ice started to crumble. He destroyed the head, but the core wasn''t there. However, the golem wasn''t able to make a new head either. It couldn''t sense them anymore, and could only struggle with Gale on top of it.


    The icy golem fell on the ground, rolling over Gale, its enormous weight almost crushing his bones. Thankfully, the snow below was softer. Gale sparked with radiant power, pulling whatever he could from the mostly restricted radiant core.


    He didn''t know if it was him or Wang Li who was to keep attacking the golem after it fell with her sword, but one of their swords pierced through its core.


    Unfortunately, the golem didn''t crumble to the ground in a shower of snow and ice as they hoped, but it burst in an explosion, shooting thick, icy chunks in all directions.

 Chapter 245 238 Stormy Night (1)

    <h4>Chapter 245 238 Stormy Night (1)</h4>


    Wang Li let out a piercing scream as something hit her on the head and chest. She crumpled to the ground, her head too heavy to lift. Gale, on the other hand, found himself in a peculiar situation.


    Although a part of the golem had exploded, a significant portion of it remained on top of him, making it difficult to extricate himself. He had to dig the snow out from beneath him to escape.


    A few paces away, he spotted Wang Li lying on the ground, blood oozing from her forehead.


    Without hesitation, Gale rushed to her aid and used a healing spell to close the wound on her chest. "I think my ribs are broken," Wang Li gasped, coughing.


    Gale breathed a deep sigh of relief and smiled softly. "I''m out of Qi to do anything more at the moment."


    "Thank you," Wang Li said as Gale helped her up. "It''s alright."


    Gale let out another sigh. "I couldn''t have done it without you."


    Wang Li returned the smile, but her eyes betrayed a hint of worry.


    "Anyway, we need to rest," Gale said. "Let''s collect the core and get out of here."


    After scouring the icy remains of the golem, they found a few shards of a glistening orb. It exuded a rich spiritual energy. Gale examined it for an extended moment, even attempting to absorb it. His face revealed surprise as soon as he introduced the energy into his system.


    "What is it?" Wang Li inquired, intrigued. She held a handful of tiny core fragments in her palm.


    "Channel your Qi through them and try to absorb them, and you''ll know," Gale instructed her.


    Wang Li gave him a doubtful look but decided to follow his advice. As she absorbed the fragments, a chill ran down her spine, and she shuddered, startled, by the icy energy that permeated her system.


    "This can be a great reward for this trial," Gale informed her. "Especially for those with icy attributes."


    "What else does it do besides making me feel cold inside?" Wang Li questioned, failing to see the point of the object.


    "Of course, it enhances your spirituality," Gale exined. "However, it has a side effect of transforming your spirituality into an ice attribute."


    Wang Li''s eyes widened as she pondered his words. She understood the importance of spirituality and the significance of increasing it. Unfortunately, after bonding with the fate lock, her spirituality was linked to nts, or else this could have been a great benefit to her.


    Gale surveyed the shards in his hand with a thoughtful expression. "Well, I already have Void, Spirit, Air, and Lightning," he mused. "With my new fate lock, a good portion of my spirit has already been transformed to the radiance attribute. I don''t want toplicate things further."


    "What do we do with them, then?" Wang Li asked.


    "Keep them, I guess," Gale replied with a shrug. "If we find a whole cache of them, you can consider turning your spirituality to ice."


    Wang Li narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Is that really a feasible option?"


    "Sure," Gale responded with a grin. "You''re already too hot, some ice might do you good."


    Wang Li shot him a re.


    "Hey, that wasn''t a bad dad joke," Galeined, but her look didn''t change. He guessed it was still too early. He sighed. "You''re still a low ranker. When you advance to Iron, you will need to choose an attribute, be it nt or something else. Honestly, ice is a good option if you can change your spirituality through these cores."


    Wang Li nodded thoughtfully, but didn''t decide anything rashly.


    "Another thing to note is that your strength will increase if you cultivate this spirituality," Gale added. He knew that increasing their strength would be critical for the journey ahead, even if they were just starting out.


    "We should discuss it with everyone," Wang Li said as they continued on their way.


    Despite her broken ribs, Wang Li stubbornly tried to walk on her own, but she quickly found herself struggling. Gale came to her aid, offering to help her. At first, she refused, but eventually relented.


    "Don''t be stubborn," Gale chided gently. "It will only slow us down. Besides, what do you fear? That you''ll fall for me if I help you move?"


    Wang Li snorted, but didn''t stop Gale from assisting her.


    As they searched for a ce to rest, they came across a pr bear. Gale managed to frighten it away, but then they found themselves caught in a blizzard. They struggled through the storm for what felt like hours until they finally stumbled upon a cave.


    Gale led the way, carrying Wang Li on his back when she could no longer walk on her own. By the time they reached the cave, Gale was exhausted and shivering from the cold. He had spent most of his Qi keeping Wang Li warm, and now he was struggling to stay warm himself.


    He huddled inside the cave, waiting for the blizzard to pass.


    The cave was on the back side of the mountain, at the foot of it. After conducting a thorough search, he deemed it safe enough to rest in. Wang Li was shivering uncontrobly in his arms, so he decided to keep her close to keep her warm.


    He tried to set her down on the ground, but she clung to him unconsciously, refusing to let go. Gale tried to pry her hands off, but she held on too tight, so he gave up andy down on the cold, hard ground with Wang Li still wrapped around him.


    The inside of the cave wasn''t exactly toasty, but it was far better than the raging blizzard outside. It didn''t take long for Wang Li to regain consciousness, and the first thing she noticed was that she was lying on top of Gale.


    She immediately tried to pull away from him, only to realise that they were both lying on a small fur that could barely fit one person.


    Gale interrupted her thoughts, "Don''t worry about it. The blizzard is still raging outside. Get some rest while you can."


    ______


    Prolly will drop three more chapters tomorrow.


    Anyway, as always, shameless begging for Golden Tickets, Power stones, and Review. They cost you anything but a little of your time.

 Chapter 246 239 Stormy Night (2)

    <h4>Chapter 246 239 Stormy Night (2)</h4>


    Wang Li grumbled under her breath, angry at herself for being so helpless. She settled back down on the fur, realising that if she wanted to stay warm, she would have to stay close to Gale. Well, she literally had totch onto him for warmth.


    "I''ll face the turnaround if you prefer," Gale offered before turning around, his tattered robe exposing the marks of his fate locks.


    Wang Li couldn''t help but gaze at them, her heart fluttering with a mix of curiosity and admiration. The burnt scar on his wing was particrly painful to look at.


    "You know, you can help us both by wrapping your fur around us," Gale suggested, breaking her from her thoughts. "The cold is just as unbearable for me. I''m not suggesting this for any ulterior motive."


    Wang Li hesitated for a moment before nodding, pulling herself close to him, her palm literally touching his back as shey down. Sheid the fur and draped it over both her and Gale.


    Her exhtion brushed against his back. However, they still weren''tpletely under the fur. Gritting her teeth, Wang Li crammed in the little space there was between them and almosttched onto him.


    Theyy there in silence, listening to the howling winds outside, the sound of their breaths intermingling in the small space.


    "How''s your broken ribs?" Gale asked after a while.


    "It''s painful if I move even a little," Wang Li said.


    "I recovered my Qi," Gale suggested, "want me to heal you, though I can''t guarantee it would be healed within today with my diminished ability."


    "Didn''t you mention the healing power takes more than just Qi?" Wang Li asked. "You don''t have to inconvenience yourself for me."


    "Nonsense," Gale said as he turned to face her, cold wind entering the cover with his moment. "We''re in this together and until this ends, you''re my responsibility."


    Wang Li didn''t know what to say as Gale''s palm was already glowing in soothing golden energy.


    "Show me where they had broken," Gale requested.


    Wang Li grunted and pointed towards her left ribcage.


    A troubled look appeared on Gale''s face as he considered. "Unfortunately, my diminished ability won''t work with the obstruction of the clothes."


    Wang Li frowned at him, shooting a re.


    "I''m telling the truth," Gale told her. "I assure you, I have no ulterior motive with this."


    "Why is it that every time you say that, I believe you less?"


    Gale sighed. "I didn''t act indignantly, though," he said, staring at her. "Although I express my heart to you, I won''t advance without yourpliance."


    A sad look appeared on Wang Li''s face when she was reminded again of Gale''s proposal.


    "Is it only because of Xiaolin, you aren''t considering it?" Gale asked.


    Wang Li bit her lips.


    "Or is it simply because I''m not good enough?" Gale asked again. "Well, that''s not a shocker, I have--"


    "No, it''s not you. . ." Wang Li cut him off and then became lost for words. "It''s me, I don''t think I can do this again."


    "Why?" Gale asked softly, their face close to each other, their hot breaths mingling together. "You''ll be alive for hundreds of years after you break through a couple of times more. Don''t you think it''s a rash decision to abandon every notion of intimacy just because you failed once?"


    Wang Li was lost for words.


    "Have you discussed anything with your Grandma?" Gale continued. "Most people don''t really know what''s best for them."


    "You think you are best for me?" Wang Li asked, her voice cracked.


    "Probably not," Gale answered truthfully. "But I''ll try my best to give you all the respect and love you deserved."


    Wang Li''s eyes were almost on the verge of tears, but she held them in. Gale sighed onest time and touched her on the broken ribs. Her clothes obstructed the radiance healing energy to enter her body. Gale pushed his energy more, as both of them remained silent for a whole time.


    Gale cast the spell a couple of times and turned around. He could''ve cast that a few times more, but that would barely have any effect. Healing takes time, he would cast the healing spell again after a few hours.


    The blizzard continued.


    A few hourster, Gale found Wang Li sleeping soundly almost on top of him. He couldn''t help but stare at her vulnerable form, reaching out to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ears. She snuggled closer to him, using his arm as a pillow.


    After a while, Gale cast the radiant healing spell on her ribs, and warm, soothing energy flowed into her body. Wang Li stirred and mumbled something incoherent as she opened her eyes to find Gale staring at her with warm eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.


    "Why can''t you leave me alone?" she said in a broken voice. "Why are you always so good to me? I don''t like it, at all. I''m sorry, Linlin, I can''t... anymore."


    With that, Wang Li closed the distance between them and kissed him. Gale was taken aback, but he held her close, rubbing her back as they exchanged the kiss that broke the barrier between them.


    Wang Li ended the kiss, panting heavily. Her chest heaved up and down as she rested on his chest, unable to meet his gaze.


    "That means a yes, right?" Gale asked, his palm sped to her shoulder.


    Wang Li whimpered. "Maybe," she squeaked, her head full of conflicting emotions. "Perhaps. I''ll consider it."


    "Perhaps you won''t mind a direct contact for the treatment," Gale said, but Wang Li didn''t reply again. "Wang Li?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Can I be a little indignant with you?" Gale asked.


    Wang Li looked up at him, unsure of what to say to her. Gale pulled her up and kissed her on the lips, her palms roaming on her back.


    Wang Li had a dreamy look on her face whey Gale ended the sky. Her cheeks crimson as she stared at him.


    "I meant every world I said."

 Chapter 247 [Bonus chapter] Interlewd (1) - nsfw

    <h4>Chapter 247 [Bonus chapter] Interlewd (1) - nsfw</h4>


    NSFW/Explicit content ahead. Read at your discretion.


    ____


    The next day, Gale and Vale were responsible for scouting. With the trustworthy guardian hound with him, Gale hardly had trouble clearing the way and hunt for more ice golem. They sessfully managed to harvest threeplete golem core, while a few splinters of it.


    It was already dark when they returned, and both the women did their part of work in the meantime they were¡ªwhich was nothing but roast meat and meditation.


    During dinner he found Wang Li giving frequent nces in his direction without any words, Gale simply nodded, smiling at her. With the hard work in the snowynd, he couldn''t wait to embrace her again, but that have to wait.


    It was at the sleeping hours, Gale finally had the opportunity to held her again. Wang Li was resting on the left side of Vale, with plenty of space for another person, on her back.


    He didn''t know if she had left that space for him consciously. There was nothing to stop him now. Gale tucked her fur cover open and slid in, wrapping his arms around her.


    He drew her closer until their chests were pressed together. Wang Li''s soft, squishy bosom pushed against him, eliciting a quick intake of breath from Gale.


    "Don''t do this," Wang Li''s voice was hesitant and distressed.


    "But you agreed," Gale countered, not letting her go.


    "I had not agreed to this," Wang Li gritted her teeth.


    Gale, however, paid no attention to her words and slipped his hands inside her robes. The feel of her soft belly made Wang Li quiver, even with just the slightest touch. She cried out in protest, but Gale''s persistence was unyielding.


    "Ai is sleeping right there," Wang Li pleaded.


    "Exactly," Gale replied, his hand slowly moving upwards. "She''s sleeping."


    "What if she wakes up?" Wang Li''s resistance was waning.


    "Then it''s alright if she doesn''t wake up, right?" Gale asked with a grin. Wang Li red at him, but did not resist his touch as fiercely.


    Gale formed a formless barrier around their side of the igloo to muffle any sounds they might make. Wang Li called him dirty, but he knew that she would not want to stay cold all night.


    "Fine," Wang Li relented atst. "But you won''t go through the final barrier."


    "What''s the final barrier?" Gale asked with an impish grin.


    Wang Li snorted and pushed him away, but instead of moving away, Gale pulled her on top of him and then slid her to the other side, dominating on top of her. Their eyes met, and they found nothing but attraction and beaming love between them. Gale did not wait, and sealed her lips with his.


    Wang Li resisted at first, but all her resistance crumbled when his tongue invaded her mouth. Gale explored her mouth with his tongue, sucking on her lips as if his life depended on it. Wang Li whimpered, and all her resistance and reservation about their rtionship washed away with that kiss.


    When the long kiss ended, they gazed at each other longingly, Wang Li''s hand on Gale''s shoulder. There was no need to say or discuss anything further. Gale pulled himself up a little, his hands moving towards Wang Li''s robe.


    They maintained eye contact as his fingers brushed around thece of her robe, receiving no further resistance from her. Gale wasted no time and took the next step.


    Gale pulled himself up a little, his palms moving towards her robe. Maintaining the eye contact, his fingers brushed around thece of her robe. Getting no more resistance from her, Gale didn''t wait in ceremony, either.


    He slowly opened Wang Li''s robe, feeling the anticipation growing in his heart. She peered through the gap between her fingers, too shy to watch what was about to happen. Gale had seen her naked before, but this was different. He was finally going to have his way with her.


    Wang Li''s delicate curves unfolded before him as he opened the robe. He brushed his palm over her t stomach, sending shivers down her spine, and finally reached for the dudou that was hiding her proud bosoms.


    Gale groped them without removing thest remnants of her dignity. Her nipples stood erect against the tight undergarment as Gale finally unfolded them. Her meaty proud peaks literally bounced off, and Wang Li squirmed in pleasure when Gale licked her nipples with his tongue. He couldn''t hold back any longer and sucked on one of them while using his palm to pleasure the other.


    A sweet liquid sprayed into his mouth, and Gale realised he had forgotten that Wang Li was stillctating.


    Without letting go of the nipple, he eyed Wang Li who was giving a look as well. Both of them lost what to say at this moment. Well, to not let the awkwardness flow anymore, Gale swallowed the milk. He couldn''t spit it out, could he?


    The milk still flowed out of her hard nipple as nobody had been able to feast on them for a few days.


    Wang Li stroked his hair, encouraging him to enjoy the full sticity of her bosoms and the sweet milk. Gale didn''t linger on her breasts for too long, afraid she might think of him as immature if he kept on sucking for milk.


    Wang Li crammed her legs unconsciously the moment he put his palm over her supple butt cheeks. He moved his lips down to her crotch. She couldn''t help but shiver even though she still had her clothes on her lower body.


    "No," she squeaked, more in desire than protest. Gale stripped the remaining clothes off her until only her knees were covered by a thin, drenched loincloth. He sniffed her thick juice and easily removed the loincloth, despite her shying away.


    "Don''t," Wang Li tried to resist, but she let out a loud moan the moment Gale''s tongue invaded her private garden that nobody had seen for over a year.


    "Oh, slow down...I can''t...anymore," she panted heavily, her legs spreading wildly as all her resistance disappeared.

 Chapter 248 Interlewd (2)

    <h4>Chapter 248 Interlewd (2)</h4>


    Wang Li moaned as her chest heaved along with the tempo of Gale''s tongue. She pressed her palm against her face and lifted her hips to amodate her wild passion.


    It hadn''t been long before she reached her peak under the incessant teasing of Gale''s tongue. As her passion relented, she came into his mouth, and her hips lowered to the floor again.


    Wang Li wheezed, her legs spread wide, revealing her vulnerable pink lower lips. Gale breathed heavily, unsure of how long he could keep his sanity; this was just too stimting.


    Unable to wait any longer, Gale removed his tunic, and Wang Li stared at him with a dreamy look in her eyes. She brushed her warm palms softly against his chest as Gale crept closer. He pulled her up until she rested her face on his chest.


    "There''s no going back now," Gale reminded her.


    Wang Li hummed slightly and reached for a kiss for the first time. Gale didn''t take the lead on this asion, although he had to hold her hips up to cut the height gap. Their lips brushed against each other softly at first and then became more intimate as Gale groped her peachy butt cheeks.


    With a little tousling of their lips and tongues, Wang Li ended the kiss and sat down on his crotch. She blushed harder, instantly feeling his hot hardness.


    Gale began to move his hips, brushing his prick against her crotch, pulling her closer to his chest as her bosoms pressed against him.


    "We shouldn''t," Wang Li squeaked, unsure how long she could resist wanting everything. "You promised."


    That stopped Gale from rubbing his prick against her crotch, but his manhood was far from calming down. It still lingered hard against her crotch.


    "There are many things we can try without breaking the final barrier," Gale whispered.


    Wang Li also wanted to go all the way, but she couldn''t with Ai sleeping just next to them. She couldn''t even imagine she was naked and clutching another half-naked man under someone else''s presence.


    "She won''t feel a thing," Gale whispered again.


    He sped her hand and moved it to the tent in his pants after making a little space. Wang Li didn''t struggle anymore and rubbed her palm over the erect manhood.


    She bit her lips considering. Eventually, she said, "Lie down."


    Gale followed, lying on his back, presenting his crotch to her. Wang Li sucked in a deep breath and got into position, her palms opening the fold of his pants. It was a harder task than she imagined, the erect prick making it difficult.


    But Wang Li managed eventually as the long rod sprang out of its confines. Wang Li''s eyes widened at the sheer size of it. It was as thick as her wrist.


    Well, considering Gale was well over two meters while she was about half a meter shorter, she could onlyin about herself. Wang Li groped it with one palm and found she couldn''t grip itpletely; that was how thick it was.


    Seeing it ring under her touch, she couldn''t help but think about the poor girl. Did he frighten Linlin with this already? Well, considering how Xiaolin was even shorter and frailer than her, she had every reason to be worried about her.


    Wang Li couldn''t help but remember why Gale hadn''t epted Xiaolin''s love at first. Well, looking at the weapon in her palm now, she had to agree with his notion. She figured Gale was only ready for this because their power was sealed. Because she sure couldn''t handle the pounding of a gold ranker of Gale''s stature.


    "Stop thinking too much into it and do something," Gale grunted.


    Wang Li gritted her teeth and started squeezing his member. It was too hard and thick to settle with one palm, so she put the other into it, her wrist going up and down.


    "Faster!"


    Wang Li followed as a glistening, transparent liquid emerged. Instinctively, she tilted her head to sniff the intense odour. Even with Gale''s power restricted, his scent was intoxicating to a lower ranker like her.


    "This is..." Wang Li was at a loss for words as she brushed the hard and warm manhood on her cheeks. It was pulsing on her skin, as she swallowed a breath.


    Gale never thought higher spirituality would have this kind of effect. Could it be because he was close to a breakthrough into Gemheart? Or could it be because of the transformation caused by the celestial blood and core? That seemed more feasible.


    After feeling the warmth on her cheeks, Wang Li got back to work, squeezing the prick up and down in an unrelenting motion. Gale stirred but was still far from his release. He lifted up a little and held her hair over her head, bringing her mouth closer to the hardened erection.


    His manhood stroked against her lips as Gale didn''t have to tell her what she was supposed to do. Wang Li opened her lips and her sweet tongue started to lick the head of his erection.


    Gale groaned, bringing her head down as his manhood entered her mouth. Wang Li gagged, unsure what to do.


    "Please continue!" Gale urged. She didn''t bob her head up and down on his manhood, but instead circled her lips around the head. She sucked on it as the thick, intense taste blossomed in her mouth.


    She wasn''t sure how long she was at it, but until her lips and throat were fiery hot and sore, did the hot liquide out. Wang Li gagged and pulled her head back as the hot slimy liquid sprayed on her. It spread on her lips, face, and chest as both of them groaned.


    She gulped feeling the sheer amount of warmth on her skin. They couldn''t wait to go all the way, however, that was what they have to do because both of them knew none of them would be satisfied in a short time like this.


    ***

 Chapter 249 240 Progress (1)

    <h4>Chapter 249 240 Progress (1)</h4>


    Wang Li awoke to find herself wrapped in Gale''s embrace, their naked bodies nestled beneath ayer of fur. The memories of their passionate night flooded her mind, causing her to bury her face deeper into the warmth.


    "Good morning," Gale greeted, enfolding his arms around her back and drawing her closer. "Didn''t I mention it would be much warmer? Do you believe me now?"


    Wang Li snorted, her heart racing as the vivid recollections of their intimate moments lingered in her thoughts.


    Gale chuckled and lifted her gently, nting a tender kiss on her lips. Wang Li''s resistance melted away as she surrendered herself to theforting embrace and their shared kiss.


    Breaking the kiss, Gale sat up and reached for his clothes. Wang Li followed suit, stealing cautious nces toward where the blind girly sleeping.


    Once both of them were dressed, Gale lovingly kissed Wang Li on the forehead before leaving the igloo, leaving her pouting in his absence.


    Vale, their loyalpanion, roamed nearby, either hunting or yfully bounding about as was his nature. Gale began his day by meditating outside, finding sce in the quietude of the moment. His Morningwood calmed down after a couple of minutes. It had been challenging to remainposed in front of Wang Li just moments ago.


    Afterpleting his meditation, Gale noticed Wang Li sitting across from him, engaged in her own meditative practice. She appeared serene, fully dressed, and deeply focused. Gale respected her space and began stretching and engaging in some light exercises, though what he considered "light" would likely challenge an average person.


    A few minutester, Ai emerged from the igloo. Having resolved her fever and fortune imbnces, she exuded a brighter disposition than the day before.


    "What was that scent in the ice house?" Ai curiously inquired upon seeing Gale and Wang Li.


    Gale paused mid-exercise and locked eyes with Wang Li, who had also awoken from her meditation.


    "What scent?" Wang Li questioned, shooting Gale a disapproving re.


    "I''m not sure, it''s faint, but it definitely has a distinct aroma," Ai replied, blissfully unaware.


    Gale erupted into a sudden cough. "Um... That''s... something Wang Li concoctedst night."


    "What was it?" the blind girl asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "Something very... bad," Wang Li replied with a snort, casting a meaningful nce toward Gale. "He made me drink it, and my mouth and throat were all sore afterwards."


    Gale swallowed nervously. "You seemed to be enjoying itst night. Looks like the intoxication wore off."


    Wang Li''s cheeks flushed crimson at his remark, rendering her momentarily speechless.


    "Intoxication?" Ai''s interest was piqued. "Are you referring to some sort of alcoholic beverage?"


    Gale and Wang Li nodded simultaneously. "Yes," they agreed in unison.


    "Where did you find it? Do you have more?" Ai inquired eagerly.


    Gale opened his mouth to respond, but no words escaped his lips. He was at a loss for an answer.


    "Come on, answer her," Wang Li urged him. "Do you have any more of it?"


    Gale cursed inwardly. "Um... No, Wang Li consumed all of itst night as if she had been hungry for a long time."


    Wang Li red at him, easily discerning the implication behind his words. "You''re the one who''s hungry," she shouted at him. "You made me do it."


    "Yes," Gale agreed easily. "But you weren''t far from it either. Remember how intense that¡­"


    Gale''s voice trailed off, unsure how long he should continue. Well, the one he was implying to understand it all, currently flushed in crimson, hiding her face.


    Ai remained unsatisfied with the vague responses. She was certain there was something she was missing. However, before she could further inquire, Gale swiftly changed the subject.


    "Anyway, now that everyone is here," Gale announced, noticing Vale approaching with a massive in ice boar in his jaws. "We need to discuss a few things."


    There wasn''t much left to discuss after the extensive conversation they had already had. Only a few matters remained unresolved.


    "First, let''s talk about these Ice Spirit Crystals," Gale began. "I''m already saturated with elemental energy, more than I can handle. I have no use for ice attributes. What about you?"


    Ai had examined the shattered core of the ice golem and understood its potential usefulness for a practitioner with ice affinity. Unfortunately, that did not apply to her.


    "My path was determined the day I bonded with my fate lock," she exined. "I believe only Sister Wang Li can utilize it effectively."


    Wang Li bit her lip and nced at Vale, who was busy devouring the meat of the in boar. "What about Vale? You mentioned hees from the mountains. Wouldn''t it be wise to give him the shattered core?"


    "You make a valid point," Gale conceded, "but spirit beasts don''t operate in the same manner, especially not Vale. Like all spirit creatures, Vale''s path was determined at birth. His spirit would reject the ice core."


    "Woof!" Vale agreed with a bark, and went back to his eating.


    "I guess that only left me," Wang Li said. "Please all about it."


    Gale was ready for it for a long time. They discussed the benefit and disadvantages of absorbing the shattered ice core for about half an hour, until most it became clear to her.


    "So, it will only hinder my advance if I chose to cultivate another pr attribute like fire?" Wang Li asked.


    Gale nodded. "Technically that''s true for most attributes, but it''s a bit extreme in this case."


    "How extreme?" Wang Li asked, arching an eyebrow.


    "You can die if you absorb something of fire elements that''s extremely pr to the ice core," it was Ai who answered this time, sending a shiver through the spine of the innkeeper.


    "But you aren''t stupid enough to cultivate the fire attribute after you absorb the ice," Gale added hurriedly, worried that Wang Li would go back on her words.


    "That''s fair." Wang Li thought for a moment and let out a deep breath. "I guess this is decided then. I won''t get any better opportunity than this, so I''ll take it."

 Chapter 250 241 Progess (2)

    <h4>Chapter 250 241 Progess (2)</h4>


    Wang Li shivered alone in the cold, her body quivering from the chilling effects of the ice spirit crystal she channelled. The frigid coldness prated her core, dampening her spirit and making her believe she could perish at any moment.


    Fortunately, the process proved to be faster than her usual training routine, although she still had to endure it for six gruelling hours. To ease the strain, she allowed herself to rest twice every hour, feeling the transformative changes taking ce within her.


    Her spiritual growth surpassed her wildest expectations, as her aptitude for spirit arts elevated to new heights within the span of six hours. While the progress was primarily concentrated in the realm of ice elemental spirit arts, she had noints whatsoever. Her constraints over her Qi were lessening as well.


    She freed herself from the strength of an initial copper ranker with those crystals. Even Gale''s power was limited to Initiate level, though his path became weirder after he bonded the fourth fate lock.


    Upon absorbing all the crystals, Wang Li noticed the return of Gale and Ai, carrying an additional supply of crystals to aid her. It appeared they had stumbled upon more of those elusive ice golems on this particr asion. Gale threw two intact ice cores and numerous fragments in her direction before crouching down to assess her well-being.


    "I don''t believe I can continue any longer today," Wang Li confessed, as Gale grasped her arms to examine the state of her channels.


    Observing the gentle expression on Gale''s face, Wang Li found herself uncertain of his thoughts. He didn''t exhibit worry or disdain for her perceivedck of effort. While she had exerted herself to the fullest, she couldn''t match the innate brilliance of individuals like Gale. Consequently, even with her utmost dedication, she might fall short.


    "At this pace, you''ll require a full two weeks and numerous ice cores toplete your transformation," Gale informed her, as he cast rejuvenation spells upon her, replenishing some of the warmth she had lost during the cultivation process.


    Wang Li emitted a frustrated grunt upon hearing that she would need to endure this arduous process for a couple of months. However, she refrained fromining. Opportunities like this rarely presented themselves in her life, and all she could do was give her best effort, lest she regret itter.


    Gale appeared visibly conflicted, torn between urging her to push herself to the limit and allowing her to continue at her current pace. Ultimately, he chose not toment, but Wang Li discerned the weight of his unspoken thoughts.


    After replenishing her energy and enjoying a hearty meal, Wang Li resumed her seated position, ready for another cycle of channelling the ice spirit essence. This time, thanks to Gale''s presence, the process went much smoother, with asional rejuvenation spells to alleviate her fatigue.


    Approximately three hourster, as darkness nketed the vast snowyndscape, Wang Lipleted her practice and noticed Gale by her side, savouring a warm beverage...? Her curiosity was piqued when she spotted the wooden cup in his hand, which he had fashioned from a branch. However, she couldn''t discern the contents of his drink.


    "Care for some?" he offered.


    "What is it?" Wang Li inquired, sniffing the intriguing aroma wafting from the cup.


    "It''s blood," Gale responded nonchntly, his expression indicating that he wasn''t enjoying the drink as much as she had initially assumed. "Not raw blood, mind you. I''ve purified and concocted it with various ingredients I found in the wilderness. It will keep you warm, with a very slight chance of causing mild diarrhoea."


    Wang Li regarded him sceptically, unsure if he was joking. It became evident that he wasn''t, despite his yful tone.


    "Would you like some?" he pressed.


    "No, thank you," she promptly declined.


    Gale studied her face for a moment, taking another sip. It dawned on her that he used this drink to mislead Ai regarding the tangy scent she had detected that morning.


    "You''ll feel cold without this drink, though," Gale said, drawing nearer to her. "Perhaps I can keep you warm, just likest night."


    With that, Gale wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Wang Li let out a snort but made no effort to break free, realising there was no one else around.


    "Ai went to bed after her cycling session," Gale informed her, his hand gently brushing against her cheek. Surprisingly, his palms felt warmer than she had expected as he caressed her face, sealing her lips with a gentle kiss.


    There was no revolt from Wang Li after the intimate moments between themst night. Gale ended the kiss as wisps of mist flew out of their mouth.


    "I never knew you were so clingy," Wang Li said.


    "I didn''t know it either," Gale confessed, "but I suppose that''s what happens when you have a beautiful woman in your arms."


    Wang Li snorted and rested her head on his chest. "Have you thought about what to say to Linlin about us?"


    Gale didn''t answer at first.


    "Gale?"


    "Not really," Gale said. "Have you?"


    It was Wang Li''s time to grow silent. She seriously felt she had done Xiaolin wrong, but at the height of everything, she couldn''t stop herself.


    "I think she''ll understand," Gale said as his voice trailed off.


    "Mhm," Wang Li sniffed, snuggling in more.


    Gale amodated her on hisp. "Now about keeping you warm."


    Gale slid his right palm into her clothes, drawing a surprised yelp from her. His palms barely caressed the soft texture of her belly, when Wang Litched her arm to it to make it stop.


    "Stop!" Wang Li eximed, even though it looked like she was battling herself to say that. "If you kept on going like this every night, I don''t think... I don''t think I can stop myself."


    "Is that a bad thing?"


    "Yes," Wang Li said with a grunt. "Considering the ce we are in."


    "But then how am I going to keep you warm?"


    ***

 Chapter 251 242 Storm

    <h4>Chapter 251 242 Storm</h4>


    After Wang Li finished absorbing all the ice cores they had collected, Gale decided it was time to attempt the trial. With nine days remaining, it seemed like enough time, but the worsening weather made him hesitant to take any unnecessary risks.


    Vale had almostpleted the task of gathering the copper cores from the beasts, so their primary concern now was finding the location of the temple.


    Determined, all four of them embarked on the journey for the first time. Initially, Gale had contemted leaving the others to cultivate, but they both presented valid reasons for their inclusion. In the end, he realised that treating them like fragile porcin dolls to be protected would do more harm than good.


    He set aside his overprotective notions and did his best to help their growth.


    The cold and stormy wind flew away fast, constantly in the same notion. They noticed a pattern in the blizzard''s intensity. It arrived a few minutes earlier each day and lingered for a longer duration, hinting that it would only intensify as their quest progressed.


    This realisation spurred the consideration of finding a more suitable location or potentially resettling altogether.


    Vale led the group as the vanguard, vignt of any potential encounters with Ice Golems. Behind her were the two women, followed by Gale.


    For the most part, they moved in silence, navigating the harsh conditions. However, after hours of enduring the biting cold wind, Gale''s curiosity got the better of him, and he turned to the Oracle apprentice, asking, "Hey, can''t you just divine the way of the temple?"


    Ai paused on her path, contemting his question. For a moment, it seemed as though she genuinely considered it. However, she soon adopted the aloof demeanour of an oracle and responded, "We are on the right path."


    "Of course, it''s the right path," Gale retorted. "Why else would those Ice Golems attack us here?"


    Along their journey, they encountered Ice Golems asionally, sometimes alone and asionally in pairs, but never inrger groups. With Vale acting as the vanguard, they were never caught off guard, and it wasn''t too challenging to ovee the creatures.


    Vale single-handedly dispatched most of them, and if any additional assistance was required, the others joined forces to swiftly defeat the threat.


    The blind girl, Ai, had proven to be exceptionally skilled in her own right. Despite adopting a supporting role, primarily assisting Wang Li, her minute adjustments during their fights proved invaluable to the innkeeper when dealing with the icy, monstrous creatures.


    Furthermore, Ai had mastered the Qi sense ability, which allowed her to detect even the most subtle changes in her surroundings if she willed it. However, it was taxing to maintain this ability for an extended period. During battles, Ai could sustain it for a couple of minutes, and for the remainder of the time, Wang Li assisted her in navigating their way.


    They formed a good partnership with this. Well, some women tend to befriend each other in the shortest time.


    "Anyway, the wind is growing stronger," Gale continued. "The blizzard will arrive within an hour. We should find a hideout."


    Everyone agreed, as Gale whistled to summon Vale. "Oi, mate, do you remember the cavern we visitedst time?" he asked.


    "WOOF!" Vale barked in agreement.


    Gale smiled and said, "Can you take us there?"


    Another bark signalled Vale''s agreement.


    "Good boy," Gale said .


    Vale cautiously led the way, skilfully navigating despite the thick snowkes and the white surroundings. With his sharp senses, it wasn''t too hard to locate a ce he had been to just yesterday.


    Unfortunately, the storm arrived earlier than anticipated, interrupting their search for the cave and prompting them to hasten their pace. It seemed that the blizzard didn''t always follow the expected pattern, as it had arrived half an hour earlier on this particr day.


    The strong winds and heavy snow battered their bodies as the blizzard engulfed their surroundings, casting a dark veil. Gale''s vision became blurry, but he relied on his heightened Qi senses to guide the two girls as they followed Vale.


    "We need to move fast," Gale urgently advised them, determined to find shelter and safety in the midst of the raging storm.


    Despite their furry clothes, the cold was seeping through, making it challenging for Wang Li to bring Ai through the storm. Vale noticed their slowed pace and adjusted ordingly.


    Until he stoppedpletely, as if noticed something.


    Gale''s mind rang with the sensation of impending danger. Without hesitating, he surged forward and swiftly pulled Ai onto his back, sensing the urgency of the situation.


    Startled, the blind girl let out a yelp.


    "Run!" Gale shouted, gripping Wang Li''s arm and urging her forward. At the same time, Vale swiftly approached from the other direction, sensing the same looming threat.


    The thickyers of snow beneath them undted, revealing a massive ice golem standing over nine feet tall. Its bestial features exuded savagery as itunched ice spikes in their direction. Gale managed to barely fend off the projectiles,shing out with his Qi.


    This particr ice golem appeared more troublesome than any they had faced thus far. Gale wasn''t certain if Vale would be able to handle it alone, but his loyalpanion charged forward, crashing into the beast with relentless force. Vale''s form contorted, taking on a more beast-like appearance.


    After reaching the safety of arge boulder, Gale positioned the girls behind it and swiftly returned to the battlefield, brandishing his bone sword.


    Vale was already engaged in a fierce battle, depriving the golem of any opportunity to create distance and rendering its ice spikes useless. Gale loomed behind, his illusory wings materialising. With increased agility, he darted behind the ice golem, thrusting his sword into head.


    Momentarily caught off guard, the golem let out a piercing shriek as the bone sword emerged from its mouth. But that wasn''t enough. They needed to disable its core, which was exactly was what Vale was for.


    Vale delivered the final blow, digging its elongated w into the golem''s core, ensuring its defeat.


    ________________


    A little rusty after not writing it for a while.

 Chapter 252 243 Storm (2)

    <h4>Chapter 252 243 Storm (2)</h4>


    Gale moved swiftly, collecting the remnants of the ice core with urgency as he dashed back toward where he had left the two women, Vale following closely behind.


    Wang Li and Ai were already catching up, not willing to burden Gale and Vale with everything.


    "Come on," Gale called out, his voice barely audible above the roaring storm. "Vale?"


    Once again, he lifted the blind girl in his arms in a princess carry and joined Wang Li to race after Vale.


    Through the biting blizzard, they struggled for half an hour until they finally reached the shelter of a cavern. Ai trembled in Gale''s embrace from the intense cold, despite the healing spells he had cast to ease her condition.


    His spiritual abilities were limited by the restriction, but he did what he could to help them all.


    Except for Vale, who seemed rtively unaffected, the others were in bad straits. The freezing Qi had invaded their channels, making even the simplest movements a challenge.


    The cavern they had found was different from the previous one, but that didn''t matter at the moment. It was spacious and appeared to extend even deeper, though the darkness made it hard to discern the details.


    First things first, Gale needed to create a fire. Fortunately, they hade prepared for such a situation. Throughout their journey, Vale had gathered an abundance of beast cores, more than what was necessary toplete their quest. And these cores could be utilised in various ways.


    One such was as a potent source of power for Spirit Constructs. Although the cores were low-level, they could still be used for certain tasks, including creating a light construct and a Heater construct, which was now of utmost importance.


    Despite his affinity for light attributes, constructing the three light constructs and the Heater construct proved to be a challenge. Well, he was a master scriber but not a skilled crafter.


    With determination, he ignited the Heater construct first¡ªa circrmp-like construct made from animal bones that radiated much-needed warmth. Wang Li and Ai huddled close to theforting heat, wrapping themselves in additional furry clothes they had brought from their bags.


    The Light construct showed both of them shivering with their furry clothes clutched tight, enveloping them.


    Thankfully, that wasn''t all he built. Gale had constructed a Sealing array, a low-grade one with lower longevity. For their immediate needs, it proved more than sufficient. It could keep the cold air at bay and prevent it from infecting them for more than a few days.


    "It will take a few minutes to set it up," Gale said reassuringly.


    With practiced precision, he decorated the cold ground with small bone spikes, meticulously carved with intricateyers of script into each one. Together, these bones formed a thin Qiyer, creating a protective dome that effectively shielded them from the bitter cold and relentless winds.


    The two women sighed with relief as they huddled near the crimson-glowing heater. Its warmth melted away the snow and ice that had clung to their bodies. With a little help from their Qi, they managed to expel most of the remaining chill.


    "Now it''s better," Gale remarked, settling down beside Vale. He gently ran his palm over the furrypanion, channelling his Qi to remove any lingering snow and ice.


    Vale seemed to enjoy the attention, delightfully resting his head on Gale''sp. He had done a lot of work these days. Well, they all have done it, but Vale worked the most.


    "The storm will go on for hours, eight or nine at least," said Ai. She was closer to the radiant heater.


    Gale casually tossed the remnants of the ice core to Wang Li.


    "We should rest and make use of this time for meditation," Gale suggested, and all of them unanimously agreed.


    The girls settled intofortable positions, still wrapped in their furry clothes, and swiftly delved into deep meditation within a matter of minutes. Their unwavering dedication and resilience were evident as they embraced the tranquillity amidst the wintry chaos.


    Gale too started meditating, though his interesty elsewhere. Closing his eyes, Gale immersed himself in the intricate spiral marks on his left arm, attempting to ess the fate lock.


    With the Void Lock sealed off, he found himself unable to unlock the crucial contents within it ormunicate with Saarya.


    The strained nature of their rtionship hadn''t improved much, yet Gale couldn''t shake the unease of being out of contact with her for several days.


    Despite being a remnant of a soul, she had once been a divine being. He believed she could handle a few days of solitude. He had no doubt about this, especially after all those years of her staying silent, only observing him.


    However, Gale remained uncertain whether Saarya could actually see or feel him, considering the restrictions ced upon him.


    Regardless, he needed to assess the state of his Void Lock. Although the restriction might be lifted after theypleted the intermediate-level trial, the potential danger concerned him deeply. He didn''t want any of them to suffer unduly.


    Moreover, Wang Li had achieved the peak of the Copper rank, and Gale possessed some items to aid her advancement.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    His focus returned to the thumping sensation resonating within him¡ªthe familiar pulse of dark energy originating from the Void Lock.


    Gale pushed his will, trying to pierce through the restrictive barriers. As the trial days passed, he sensed slight weaknesses in the restriction. It grew more as the day progressed, as if someone working against it.


    It gave him hope that he could eventually break free.


    In a bout of infuriating tug of war, Gale continued his relentless effort against the restriction for a few more minutes. Until, suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.


    The sound of her voice brought a mixture of relief and emotions to Gale. Despite theirplicated rtionship, he couldn''t say he hadn''t miss their conversation.


    "Gale?" Saarya''s voice called out, breaking through the darkness. "How long has it been? Did you reach the heart?"


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