《Put A Dent in Providence (Original Generic Cultivation CYOA)》 Prologue- In Which a Man Wakes up Chinese ///___/// One moment I''m taking a rather pleasant walk through the local woods, the next, something heavy hits the top of my head. When I open my eyes, I''m sitting at¡­ a bar. No, a wine house. Why do I know this is a wine house? It doesn''t look like the kind I''m used to. My face feels sticky, and everything smells like a particularly fruity wine. Blinking my eyes, I take a closer look at the table and see a tipped-over wine bottle. My body subconsciously licks its lips, and I have to almost physically force myself back from licking the flower-patterned table covered in spilled wine. Woah woah woah buddy, I know I''m an alcoholic but I don''t remember ever being this bad. ¡°Young Master Xiang? This humble servant is delighted to see you''ve awakened.¡± Some ass kisser says nearby to some Asian du- there''s no one nearby. Blankly turning my head I turn to look at the man who spoke. He''s talking to me. I blink my eyes again. The man has a blue glowing thing above his head. What the fuck? Okay, situation analysis time. Asian wine house, everything feeling just a little bit off, I''m being called an Asian name, and the dude has a¡­ glowing blue halo above his head. Conclusion? Bro, what the fuck? Either this is a bad drug trip, a lucid dream, or the start of some bullshit I don''t know what to do with. So I pinch my thigh under the table. It hurts. It shouldn''t hurt. I have full-body nerve damage. I barely feel pain in the first place. Hell, I don¡¯t know if people experience pain in dreams since I barely feel it. In short, why the fuck was that painful!?. This doesn¡¯t bode well at fucking all. The signs point to the last of the options I listed, so with hesitancy I didn''t know I had in me, my gaze pans up to look over my head. There''s a black halo, a mark on me that''s almost as black as my teenage Wattpad fics marking my soul. I let my head thunk against the table. ¡°Young Master Xiang!?¡± The dude almost squeaks with how high-pitched his cry is. Okay, reassessing the situation, assuming these halos are luck¡­ It''s the goddamned CYOA I did before my walk. I want to both cry and bash my head into the table as hard as I can. Fuck you past me! Why did you choose hard mode?! ¡°You-young Master Xiang please say something!¡± The dude starts panicking. It clicks for me right there. He''s not worried about me through kindness. That''s fear in his voice. Because in that CYOA? I made myself the most Villainous Villain to Ever Villain. Well, that''s a bit of an exaggeration but it''s not far off. Oh, wait, I should probably tell this guy I''m not gonna kill him. ¡°Silence, mongrel.¡± Is what comes out of my mouth instead¡­ What? No, servant man, why are you sighing in relief at that?! No no, I''ll just tell him not to worry about that. ¡°Crawl on the ground and beg for this elder''s mercy.¡± ¡­Dude. ///___/// Too much groveling later, I managed to go to the Inn I was apparently staying at. Very much alone, away from people, as all of them seem to see me as if I were Satan himself. Hell, one dude pissed himself as I walked by, did not need that scent on my nose thank you very much. The short walk to the inn, however, was extremely informative. Everyone indeed has a halo above their heads. Most of which, among the common rabble, are grey and some green halos. I saw a scant few blue halos among the really rich-looking folk, and even some black halos on people that looked close to death (Not a good sign considering mine is also black). Luck halos and possible death aside, I''ve discovered my name! My, or more accurately the former owner of this body, is named Xiang Rong. A young master that''s notorious here. He''s from the branch family of some ancient Cultivator clan. Said branch had just been wiped out, so his being in a bad mood did not help the local businesses. Even more importantly, however, is that Young Master Xiang is a cultivator! So first things first, integrate this bastard''s memories so I know what the fuck is happening. If I can do that. I don''t know, I haven''t tried yet. With a small sigh to myself, I march over to the ornate-looking bed. Red sheets, dragons carved into the frame, the classic young master sleeping area if I do say so myself. Taking a seat, I make myself comfy as I dive into my own head. ///___/// This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I regret my life choices. In this life, and the last. Look, I was kinda an asshole before, but Xiang Rong? Bro was a competitive asshole to my casual. Think classic Arrogant Young Master then throw in a lil demonic spice, because of fucking course there is. Who''s fault is that? Mine, yeah definitely mine. Okay, I may have gone a little too hard with the whole Immortal Demon Emperor thing on the CYOA. Short story short? Rongy Boy''s life here is the exact setup for all the choices I made. So let''s go over those, shall we? Ancient Clan and No Sect, background choices. But because I took a few flaws things were made to fit. The Orphan flaw has me in a branch clan and said family has recently died (Rip Papa and Mama Xiang). Adding to that? A marriage contract I''ve had since before I was born with a family called the Luo clan was thrown back in my face. My fianc¨¦ saw everyone dying as the perfect opportunity to cut ties. Pragmatic, I''m not even mad at her, to be honest. So for now, that''s a later problem. Getting into perks, we''ll start from the top. My cheat, my wonderful power that hopefully will keep me alive long enough to bag a hot blonde or two (if they exist here? Xiang hasn''t seen any), is the False Son of Providence. I see people''s luck, their halo''s color signifying how lucky they are, as well as how much luck they have left. Luck does indeed run out. The closer you are to death, the darker your halo becomes until it eventually goes black. At that point death isn''t a chance, it''s an inevitability. So what can I do with this perk? Well, that depends on what I choose between two choices when I see someone has an opportunity ahead of them. Choice one, share the opportunity, a win-win essentially doing so raises my luck a bit without affecting the luck of the person I''m mooching off of. Choice two, steal it for myself. Finders keepers losers weepers. I take both the opportunity and a rather significant increase in my luck while the person I stole from takes some damage to theirs. After that, things get a lot less broken but still very significant. Immortal Emperor means I''ll have no difficulty cultivating to higher realms, hell bottlenecks might as well not exist. Reaching a higher stage isn''t a matter of if, it''s a matter of when. The next perk is where the problems start. Physique Stealing, if that alone doesn''t sound evil as fuck I''d get my head checked. In my mind, I was granted a rather short ritual to steal the special Physiques of sons and daughters of heaven. And with that? I essentially got my own unique Physique, one that''s just a storage space for the ones I steal. Yes, plural, I can fucking stack them. Oh and of course it kills the person I steal from ninety percent of the time. Pure-Hearted Demon, now this in itself isn''t the final nail in the coffin, but it sure didn''t help my fate. Demonic techniques of all kinds always have a downside, this perk is near immunity to said downsides. As for the thing that sealed my fate as the bad guy? Why of course it''s the drawback that says I''m the bad guy! Villainous Fate, the chosen of Heaven see me as the villain, spirits see me as unkind, and the rest of the world will see me as a cruel tyrant no matter what I do. Truly, I fucked myself on this one, and so my fate was locked. Xiang Rong is a demonic cultivator. There''s nothing I can do to change that. Not letting my thoughts get so down in the dump, I mentally move on to the next perk. Personal Intent, of course, this one was affected by a drawback I took. In The Drink, it made me an alcoholic who''ll gladly throw back a bottle in the middle of a fight. So my Intent is Madness, specifically drunken Madness, dunno if that changes it much. As for the other perks, Royalty is what it says on the tin, A Will of Steel so I don''t just break down and hide in a corner, Marks of Cultivation is just looking fancy when I do shit, and Divine Sense gives me exactly that, earlier and stronger than every cultivator at the same level. The next thing on the list is jobs, what am I good at? Well, I went with the evil classic, Xiang Rong is a Puppet Master prodigy. The secondary job, of course, is Wine Brewer. Fucking alcoholic. As for my other choices? I don''t see the items I chose anywhere, and for some reason, I can''t remember the companions. I know I chose a few, I just have a block of some kind in my memory. Unsettling, for sure. Deeply engrossed in my thoughts, my divine sense pings on something just suddenly appearing in the air in front of me. My hand snatches it before I even realize what I''m doing. It''s a dull green ring. A spatial ring. I use my divine sense to see what''s inside and sure enough, it''s the items I filled out on the CYOA. Along with a note. ¡®The ring is your last freebie.¡¯ Bro what? What was the fucking first one?! Fuck it, I''m not gonna argue with whatever godly being dropped my ass here. Brow furrowed, I internally grumbled as I sort the shit I was given. Blood red cultivator robes, not gonna wear those for a while. I can at least pretend I''m not a demonic shitter. I SPOKE TOO SOON THIS ARMOR IS DOPE! Black and red armor that goes with the robes, it''s both edgy as fuck yet cool as all hell at the same time. Fuck I wanna put this on and do poses in front of a mirror or something. I''m never replacing this drip, if I''m gonna be a Demon Lord I might as well look the part no? As for the last two items¡­ One''s an item that clearly doesn''t fit in this setting. A joke item of a Numinous Treasure, an indestructible brick. Just, a modern-day red cement brick that can''t break¡­ The other item is something that''ll probably just get me killed for owning. It''s a dark leather-bound book, pushing some divine sense into it has the words ¡®Demonic Sutra¡¯ glow for a short time on the cover before fading away again shortly after. It''s too simple in a world like this, and that''s why it scares me. That and the fact I chose the highest-tier Cultivation manual possible in the CYOA. Taking it out of the ring, I give it a look with my actual eyes. It''s obviously old, yet very well maintained. You''d expect the leather to be rotting but instead, it looks like it''s aliv- The book has a heartbeat. Before I can put it away in a panic, I feel pain in my finger, then the book is gone in a flash of red and black light. Surely that can''t possibly be a bad th- PAIN! FUCK WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?!? Panicking harder than ever I use my divine sense on my body, and then going further I look into myself. My Cultivation that had been at the seventh stage of Qi Gathering is shattered, and my High-Grade Darkness (Of fucking course it was) Spiritual Roots are being consumed by a sea of red coming from the book in my soul¡­ Or not? The red coming out of the book is acting like water, pooling around the base of the root, making a small lake under and around it. The root starts greedily absorbing the liquid, growing rapidly. I watch in fascination as a root grows into a tree at rapid speed, and red liquid settles into a decently sized lake. At some point, the book stops. Closing again, it flops on the ground of my soul. I don''t fucking know, even Xiang Rong''s memories say this shit is weird. More importantly, I don''t know what the fuck grade of a small black tree surrounded by a lake of blood would be. What even is my element anymore? Demon? Is Demon my element?!? Giving up, I vacate the premises after the book doesn''t do anything for a while. Admittedly the black tree scared me a little, that fucker looks hungry. How does a tree look hungry? Why do I know it wants fresh blood? I just have more and more questions than when I started this shit. The book itself is content with just vibing, I even get the sense I can now summon and peruse it at my leisure. Neat that. For now, I''m covered in sweat, stuck at the first stage of Qi Gathering, and very very much need a drink. With that in mind, I decided to just ask the two servants outside to get my bath ready. ¡°Useless dogs! Draw a bath for me!¡± With my divine sense, I see the two servants immediately scramble to do as told. Ah. I forgot about that part. Chapter 1- Unpleasant Bathtime Interupt ///___/// I can''t remember the last time I took a bath. Wait no, now I can, in Rong''s memories at least. For the modern man version of me, I''d settled into just taking showers for years now. Unless you count a hot tub as a bath. Only now do I realize how much I missed this feeling. Relaxing in the water''s warmth, my only true refuge. In my old body, it meant the only time I could feel warmth or cold as the water was able to get through to my shitty near dead nerves. Yes, a bath is truly something that should be cherished. It probably wouldn''t have been this relaxing if I let the servants stay, that''s for sure. All it took was politely asking them to leave the room after drawing my bath. ¡°Leave, dogs, don''t dirty my hands with your deaths.¡± Yes, politely. Something I can indeed do. Look, at least I can control my actions so far¡­ I''m scared to see some sort of divine wine now that I remember that super alcoholic drawback. Looking at my choices I''m not actually sure of a few things. My main occupation is Puppet Master, but I don''t automatically start as one, nor do I even know how to begin. I''m just a prodigy at it. As for Wine Brewer, it''s not like I''ve anything to brew with. Shit wasn''t included in the free item pack. Absent-mindedly, I summon something that was included in the ring using my divine sense. The stoney surface feels rough in my hand, the signature of this kind of material. Truly, my greatest weapon in this world. The unbreakable concrete brick fits perfectly (not) in my hand. Truly, this modern brick will be the only thing to keep me sane in China land. ¡°Xiang Rong! Get out here you dog!¡± That isn''t how I thought I''d test the brick''s indestructibility, if it were a normal brick my hand would have shattered it. For the first time in my life here I am in tune with my body. How fucking dare they interrupt bath time. Whoever the fuck this is, is clearly courting death. I''m just about to order the servants to come dress me on instinct, then a thought comes to mind. If what I say is suitably villainous enough, will my mouth let me speak as intended? Let''s test that theory. Instead of getting dressed I just wrap a towel around my waist. A glance at the mirror has me acknowledge that I am once again, a handsome bastard. I''d consider my looks from before one of the only good things about me, so choosing the Ugly Bastard drawback wasn''t an option. Even if the drawback itself just makes you look like an average dude and not actually ugly. I''m vain like that. Now, I could easily just jump out of the window or break the wall down to confront whoever pissed me off like that. That''s something a protagonist would do. Instead, I push open the doors to my room, the servants immediately palling at the sight of me. Green and Blue? Blue halo probably won''t die. Maybe. ¡°You, fetch me two bottles of wine, one of the highest quality, the other something you would drink,¡± I say pointing at the green halo. ¡°And you, invite those vagrants to see me in the garden.¡± That order goes to the blue. Holy fuck, that worked. Apparently, I just need to be domineering and an asshole. ¡°Young Master Xiang, this servant dares not question you but they are members of the Wei and Luo clans.¡± Luo? Ah, my fianc¨¦ came earlier than I expected. I bump her up a notch in my mind. Very pragmatic, that one. ¡°I can have the finest robes delivered here in an-¡± ¡°One doesn''t care about attire when dealing with ants. Don''t waste more of my time.¡± I don''t say I''ll kill them, but the man pales as if I did. Instead of correcting that I just walk off towards where Rong''s memories said the garden was. From what I''ve seen so far, correcting them would have had me threaten them with death, so by not doing so I''m being kinder. We take these wins. ///___/// ¡°Xiang Rong! You dare?!¡± The red-in-the-face bearded man in a red-blue robe shouts as soon as he sees me. Ah, it''s the dude that called me out. He must be pissed at me because I''m casually drinking wine while only covered by a towel, basking in the sunset''s glow. Not gonna lie, I give myself an 8/10 on style points here. Still, no idea why a blue halo is so uppity. Even if he has an orange and red halo right behind him. The orange halo is on the girl I''ve mentally labeled pragmatic, Luo Xue, my technically still fianc¨¦. Appearance-wise, she''s got a level of beauty that''d have many men subscribe to her only fans. She has bright blue eyes and dark brown hair, yet interestingly there''s a few streaks of white. She''s someone I can see and hum in appreciation at if she were my wife. Those blue eyes are staring at me intently as her brow furrows cutely. It''s like looking at a confused rabbit. I wanna boop her on the nose. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The dude next to her, however¡­ Yep, that''s a Son of Heaven Alright. Generic Xianxia protagonist looks down to a T. Black eyes; check, black hair; check, self confidence obvious enough it''s bordering on arrogance? Yesamundo. It''s still only a theory right now, but I can just feel that red halo calling to me, my own black halo wishing to pluck his opportunities from the root. He must be from the Wei clan. As for who he is? I''ve no fucking clue. Xiang Rong never put the Wei clan in his eyes. I should probably care more¡­ My body refuses to put the wine down. ¡°You- you animal! Dressing like a wastrel in front of Lady Luo!¡± The red-faced man gets redder in the face. I just slowly savor the wine. It''s not the best Rong has had, but it definitely is a high-quality one in these parts. Spiritual fruit wine usually is. Finally finishing the bowl I put it down. Sending a blank look at their group. ¡°Is it not customary to greet your betters?¡± Bro looks like he''s about to blow a gasket. I have some talent in this whole pissing people off thing. ¡°You da-¡± ¡°I wasn''t speaking to you, mongrel. Wei, punish your dog before he embarrasses you further.¡± I interrupt. ¡°Sit down, have a drink. The sun¡¯s departure should be peaceful.¡± I point at the shitty bottle of wine that I had green halo fetch. ¡°Jian Shuo is a respected servant of our clan. The only dog here is you.¡± Wei snarls at me instead of acknowledging my slight. Wait, I remember that name. Not too long ago I played Wo Long Fallen Dynasty and it had me rereading Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Well, more so skimmed but the point is I remember this dude cus he had his dick cut off. Eunuchs, a classic profession with way too high a cost. ¡°Oh, he''s just a servant. I thought he was a eunuch.¡± I shrug as I pour myself another bowl of wine. Both the men almost explode at that, they would have too if my fianc¨¦ hadn''t interrupted. ¡°Enough. Xiang Rong, I''ve come for the annulment of our engagement. My family has prepared ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones in exchange.¡± That''s a pretty penny. If I had to do quick math, shit''s close to a hundred thousand dollars back home. Which, while that''s a lot to a poor man, a medium-sized clan that belongs to a big sect? Chump change. Not in a sense it''s cheap still, hell taking this agreement would be perfectly acceptable in the public''s eyes. Yet¡­ When she spoke I saw something. The Wei clan''s protagonist template''s halo shot her halo with a beam of red, which made her orange just a bit redder. My fianc¨¦ is a heroine I think. And as the villain, I can''t let it end this easily. ¡°Twenty thousand.¡± ¡°You dare!?¡± ¡°What? That''s doub-¡± ¡°And I''ll not cripple Wei''s dog. The annulment will be thirty thousand.¡± Said dog coughs into his hand, and is that blood? Really? Are we really going there? ¡°You would drag my family into this!?¡± Wei rages. I just raise a brow and look at Luo Xue, hey she actually looks a bit bashful. ¡°You dragged yourself in, simpleton.¡± ¡°Good!¡± He snarls, a smile coming to his face. ¡°Then I''ll have this dog give you a beating. A man like you at the first stage of Qi Gathering has no right to be this arrogant.¡± ¡°Wait, first stage of¡­ You reset your Cultivation!?¡± Luo Xue looks at me wide-eyed, a realization seems to come to her, from the start of the conversation up until now she seemed to have been confused by something. What the fuck is the Cultivation of these guys? I take the opportunity to check with my divine sense as I sip at my wine. My fianc¨¦ is at the 4th stage of Qi Gathering, which is rather surprising. I''m pretty sure she just turned eighteen so the speed she''s going shows some real talent. The Wei clan protagonist is only at the 3rd stage, but his dog is at the peak. Did not expect to see a 9th Stage of Qi Gathering dude here. In these parts, it''s rare to see people at that level as the sects generally stick to themselves. My Xiang branch clan was essentially having fun being a big fish in a small pond until a Core Formation elder took offense to our existence. Regardless, he''s not someone I could fight with such low Cultivation. So I decided to fix that. Using my divine sense I have the book flip open in my soul and read the first passage. I can''t understand jack shit. The book gives me the mental equivalent of a sigh and beams the Cultivation technique into my head. Thank you, Book-chan, you are my bestest friend. Still, drinking wine, I follow the method. The old Xiang Rong was a genius. He was someone born to become an Immortal Emperor even if he sat on his ass doing nothing. With his shitty (top-grade) demonic manual and his shitty (top-grade) spirit roots, he''d managed the 7th stage of Qi Gathering at the tender age of 19. He spent more time drinking than actually cultivating on top of that. Me? I have the whole Immortal Emperor shtick with a manual that can''t be judged and a weird-looking tree and blood lake as my spiritual root. So imagine everyone''s surprise when I break through to the sixth step of Qi Gathering before I put my wine bowl down. ¡°Wha-what!?¡± ¡°No, how, that''s impossible!?¡± ¡°Xiang Rong, you-¡± ¡°Ah, I forgot. I was at the seventh stage.¡± With one more circulation of the black Qi with a tinge of red through my dantian, I hit the seventh stage of Qi Gathering. Lmao, bro you good? Wei protago is almost foaming at the mouth. Wait, I haven''t used something yet. It''s a perfect opportunity to try it. Ignoring the questioning look on my fianc¨¦''s face, I frowned at the trio. ¡°If you can withstand this Lord''s intent, I will spare your Cultivation.¡± The dude looks a lot less sure of himself all of a sudden. I wonder why, it''s not like I keep pulling shit out of my ass to be a bigger dick than them. ¡°Wait, you have an intent already too!?¡± Luo Xue cries with a look of frustration on her face. Not giving the other two a chance to respond, I blast that shit on full send. With my divine sense, I see a wave of purple crash through them and the surrounding area, my Madness Intent (Drunkard Edition?) taking the entire surrounding as its own. With it, like a Regal Emperor, I issue my command to the stumbling servant of the Wei family. ¡°Soil yourself.¡± He nods at my words. ¡°That''s a great idea.¡± And for the first time in this life, I''m happy at the rancid scent of piss, not at the piss itself I should add, not into waterworks here. Cutting off the Intent, I bask in the silence, taking a sip of my drink as the horror of what he just did sinks in. What I didn''t expect was for my fianc¨¦ to become a blur as she rockets off into the sky. I vaguely had enough time to see she took out an artifact of some kind. Something that has to be expensive as a feat like that isn''t possible for someone in Qi Gathering. Then it hits me, along with the reason why she left. The scent of piss in the wind, trailing behind her. Chapter 2- A Most Generous Boss ///___/// After that little incident, the protagonist from the Wei clan had just sworn I''d rue the day of messing with him or some shit. Idk I was distracted by the brown stain on his pants as he dragged away his sobbing servant. Funnily enough, I''m pretty sure I saw his red halo dim a bit but I''m not sure which of my actions caused that. I''ll have to test being an asshole to protagonist types more thoroughly. On the plus side, my halo has a little red swirl in it now. So that''s neat. No idea what to do with that. Onto more important matters, like the fact he reminded me of something. Servant, huh¡­ I got two of those. Xiang''s memories had informed me that he''d mostly just been using the Inn''s staff as his servants outside of those two. I should probably remember their names¡­ nah that''d be out of character, so Blue and Green it is. Because I''m such a good boss I gave those two the shitty wine bottle that I had Green bring to insult my unplanned guests. Anyway, the rest of the night went rather peacefully, if I do say so myself. I drank myself to sleep, of course. Being drunk off of spiritual wine is the greatest pleasure imaginable. Truly, my life as an alcoholic was blessed by coming here. Amen. What really surprised me was in the morning when one of the Inn''s servants brought me a letter and a space ring. Why didn''t my servants answer the door? They''re both wasted as fuck, I was rich enough to keep the wine flowing, both shitty and spiritual. I think I gave Blue some spiritual wine at some point and the dude went out like a light. So what was in the ring? Thirty thousand mid-grade spiritual stones. Seems my fianc¨¦ was so embarrassed from being hit by my ¡®power word soil¡¯ that she decided to handle things quietly and without complaints. I mean, it''s good in my books. Despite pissing herself I still praise the heroine''s pragmatism. With a shrug to myself I pull out the contract, rip it in half, then have the servant send it and the ring back after moving the spiritual stones to mine. Why didn''t I keep the ring? My pride as a villain, truly. It wasn''t part of the bargain and I want to craft the image of being a villain of my word, or some shit like that. I already stiffed her enough, and those things cost a fair sum. I''ll just buy another one if I need one. Speaking of buying, I can''t keep going like this. Wei dude had a cultivator as his servant, while mine are just two dudes who survived by being out shopping when the massacre happened. I''m pretty sure they were the stable boys. Regardless, it''s unacceptable. Using my divine sense I first check Green. Let''s see, his spiritual roots are Wind, Nature, and Metal, of the three only Nature is a mid-grade one, the rest low. While Nature and Metal are a bit rare, having multiple roots is not a good thing unless it''s some heaven-blessed bullshit. Essentially, I see why he was passed by as a potential cultivator when my family chose them. Leaving the young brown-haired man to clutch his pile of bottles on the floor, I head over to Blue. Blue, he''s kind of a special case, isn''t he? People with blue luck are the successful ones, outside of being a child of heaven or something. I''m sure that the Wei clan dog from last night will eventually work his way to Elder if the smell of his piss doesn''t haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. Regardless, Blue being passed by so easily by the family just feels off. As I study the blackout drunk who has his face on the table, I eventually hit him with the good ol¡¯divine sense. Bro what? What the fuck is a Dual Celestial and Dream Root?! MOTHERFUCKER MY SERVANT¡¯S A PROTAGONIST TEMPLATE! Do I just kill him? I reel back some at how instinctive the thought was. Rong, your memories are not a good influence on my already rather fragile mental state. Well, the Willpower perk hopefully helps with that. As for dealing with Blue¡­ I''m honestly surprised I hadn''t noticed before. Then again, I treated him like a nameless mook, and I still treat him like a nameless mook. He, however, indeed fits the bill of a protagonist. Same black hair, and I poke his eyelid up a bit to check he indeed has the generic black eyes. His appearance is really average though. So maybe considering his luck he''s the regressor or reincarnated immortal type? I doubt he''s the glow-up kind, his luck is too ass for that. If I''m right in my estimate it hasn''t happened yet. Putting a hand to my chin I ponder. To kill or not to kill, that is the question¡­ Yeah, I¡¯ma let him live. All it took was me realizing that''d cut my workforce in half, along with the fact Blue is the smart one of the two. Dunno if this will bite my ass eventually, but if he does end up being my enemy I can just use him to steal his opportunities. It''s a win-win situation here. I do, however, take a closer look as to why our family missed such bullshit Spiritual Roots. Focusing my divine sense on Blue as a whole instead of just his roots, I find the problem. This fucker has a special Physique. I don''t know what it is, but it''s probably demonic of some kind if it''s hindering his Roots so badly they couldn''t be picked up by the Root-sensing artifact. Considering one of his Roots is holy in nature. I''m tempted to just say fuck it and take the Physique right there, surely I could use it better. But no, that''s the cultivator in me talking, and I already decided I''d let Blue live. Besides, I''ve wasted enough time looking at these guys. I''ll just give them both one of the basic bitch starter manuals then throw some spiritual stones their way. If they can succeed, good, if they fail, they''re still useful enough as servants. Knowing I can''t just tell them this, I pick the two up and drag them to another room, a female servant of the inn comes up to me in a panic. ¡°Young Master Xiang, that room was already reserved for the night by-¡± ¡°Don''t care, I''m taking it. Add it to my bill.¡± I cut her off, and she instantly pales. ¡°Leave.¡± She bows low, then speedwalks away. Ah, the things I do for my precious subordinates. Truly, I am a good boss. ///___/// Jie Long blinks his eyes awake, one of those eyes stinging, just on the lid as if it were bruised. What happened? He remembers his Master giving him a sip of Spiritual Wine then nothing. He rockets up in a panic at the thought. What time is it!? Master might kill them if they slept in!? A groan to the side draws his attention, Tan Bo, his friend and only fellow servant, is asleep clutching a bottle as if it were a woman. Jie Long feels a vein bulge on his forehead at that, kicking the sleeping man. ¡°Gyaah?!¡± Tan Bo cries in pain at his sudden awakening. ¡°Ouch ouch ouch, my head! Jie Long why do you kick a hungover man!?¡± ¡°We don''t have time to waste around! We have to go serve Mas- Where are we?¡± He interrupts his words as he looks around the room he most definitely has never been in before. The Phoenix Motifs are everywhere and the red sheets on the bed assure him of that. Before he can get his bearings Tan Bo walks over to the big desk in the room, then says something inconceivable. ¡°Huh, master wants us to cultivate.¡± ¡°What did you say, you imbecile?¡± ¡°You know I can read, you''re the one that taught me.¡± That was true, he sees the stupid younger man as a dumb little brother. ¡°Look, the note is right here, and there''s even a book under it!¡± Jie Long finds himself hesitantly approaching his eager friend. Then he blanks after reading the note shoved into his hands. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Learn this technique, reach the first stage in two months or go die.¡± -Xiang Rong, Master of two dogs. Not for the first time, Jie Long realizes his Master seems to have changed. Despite the usual threat of violence and insults, a deep gratitude settles in his heart. Along with excitement. He was going to become a cultivator! ///___/// I feel like sneezing, but bodily functions like that are below someone so great such as I. Instead I focus on getting back to what I was doing. Learning what the fuck this book has me chanting as a mantra. The words of an ancient tongue are burned into my mind, and I don''t even physically need to speak them. Just thinking about them circulates my Qi in the way that the manual follows. Each circulation of Qi seems to add more and more to the lake of blood at my Spiritual Tree''s base. Yes, that thing is no fucking Root, I''m calling it a Spiritual Tree now. The Qi itself is black, just like my former Darkness Root, but now it has a tinge of red to it, dyed in the same way the tree is. I don''t know exactly how the Qi and the Blood Lake are connected, but I''ve realized they do mirror each other. My dantian is full of the liquid like Qi which is approximately the same amount as the lake in my soul. I think I''ll only get answers on what that means when I reach the next stage. Which I can do now, I think. Rong sat on his ass for a year after hitting 7th stage, and before that he half-assed his cultivation. So I''m fairly positive I can shoot right into Foundation Establishment. A shame I''m not getting there under twenty though, so no cred for being a super once-in-a-lifetime genius to the public. Damn you Rong, you lazy bastard! Generic Heaven-sent genius will have to do. Decided on my path, I nod to myself. I only have one thing left to do first. Book-chan, please tell me your secret, what does this mantra mean? Beg for help from the sentient book in my soul. I gave up trying to translate, learning other languages has always been the bane of my existence. I once feared retribution from the Duolingo bird. I almost shiver at the thought. Book-chan gives me the mental equivalent of a sigh again. Ah, I kinda feel bad disappointing Book-chan like this, but I really wanted to know what I was saying here. Then, the information from the ancient script is burned into my mind. With Blood, subjugate the Earth With Darkness, control the Heavens With Strength, dominate the Demonic Rise unfettered, and know Truth Book-chan, you just got straight to the point huh? Well, whatever, I''ve already accepted my fate as an edge lord here. With a quick thanks to Book-chan, I immediately start cultivating, chanting in my mind, Qi is absorbed and circulated at a breakneck speed. Time to reach Foundation Establishment! ///___/// Just a bit earlier ¡°I already told you, what do you mean my reservation was canceled, do you know who I am!?¡± He screams at the manager who dares to block him. Everyone always thinking they can step on him over the years has given him the inability to let a slight like this pass. Ever since Cheng Hong was crippled and his engagement broken at a young age, he''s seen the absolute worst people can be to one another. Now that his cultivation has recovered, and even flourished with the help of his ring-bound Master, he can''t possibly put up with the injustice being shown. ¡°Young Master, I implore you, to please take one of our other rooms while we wait for the Phoenix room to become available again.¡± The pale-faced manager cowers in front of him, the female attendant Cheng had unfortunately hit in his anger stands behind him with her head low and his hand print on her face. While he feels sorry, he would not lower himself to apologize. ¡°Hypocritical brat, you''d apologize in a heartbeat if it were one of those Jade Beauties you always chase after.¡± His Master scoffs, not even leaving the ring to scold him. Cheng would rub the back of his head in shame if he wasn''t being watched by the Inn staff. Instead, he ignores his Master''s words and lets a serious look slip onto his face. ¡°Pray tell, why I, this humble Lord, should wait? You mean to say there''s another Foundation Establishment Cultivator in this backwater city?¡± A smug smirk comes to his face as he unleashes just a small amount of his killing intent. He notices the sweat dripping from the pale face of the now kneeling manager. ¡°Enough with the theatrics, Boy.¡± Fine. He''ll just get to the point then. ¡°Who would dare to take my room?¡± ¡°It was young Master Xiang!¡± The attendant he hit cries after seeing the even now reluctant look on the manager''s face. ¡°Xiang? The Ancient Xiang Clan? Boy, ask right now!¡± ¡°Of the Ancient Xiang Clan?¡± He asks. ¡°Just a branch, one that was wiped out! But Xiang Rong has his entire branch''s assets if rumors are to be believed!¡± The young woman states hurriedly, her manager looking at her in shock. ¡°Just a branch clan?¡± Cheng scoffs. The man sounds like a Villain if the fear of the people here is anything to go off of. A wealthy villain. Cheng ignores his Master''s deep sigh. ¡°Xuiyei, do you have a death wish?!¡± The manager screams at the attendant. Truly the true color of these people is vile, the same as the rest of those people who bullied him. ¡°Do you?! I''d rather place my bet on the powerhouse rather than a spoiled brat with a silver spoon!¡± She seethes back at the man who had originally stood in front of her as a protective shield. ¡°Enough. Take me to this Young Master Xiang.¡± He flashes his Intent once again. They quiet, the attendant bows and then motions him to follow as the manager looks on in dismay. Sorry mister manager, you should have picked better. A short walk later they arrive at what looks to be the Dragon room. The gall of that man! He dares take Cheng Hong''s room then doesn''t even use it!? When he asks the attendant who is using his room, he''s shocked to learn it''s two servants. A beating will be nowhere near enough for this bastard. He debates quickly killing the man''s servants but decides to save it until after he decides their Master''s fate. And so, Cheng Hong pushes open the door, breaking the rudimentary lock as well. Just as he enters the room, he freezes. A swirling black mass of Qi takes up his vision, and a moment later an aura of fear and dizziness grips his heart. When he comes to again it''s to his Master''s shouting. ¡°Cheng Hong! Run, you can''t deal with this man!¡± He almost runs on instinct before his gaze meets the closed eyes of the man floating above a red and gold sheeted bed. Then he scoffs at the thought of running. For all that show, the man before him is only a newly ascended Foundation Establishment Cultivator! His master was worried for nothing. So with a smirk on his face, he takes out his sword. ¡°Cheng Hong, please, play not the fool or it will be your last breath you take.¡± He rolls his eyes. Seriously, what does his Master think this is- The man on the bed opens his blood-red eyes, and those eyes are the last thing Cheng Hong sees. ///___/// I don''t know whether I should call my luck horseshit, or good. On one hand, Foundation Establishment was something I could do in an instant. Which wasn''t luck per se, but I still feel lucky. On the other hand, as soon as I was done breaking through a Son of Heaven showed up with what I presume is his ring daddy. I''m glad I was able to immediately hit him with my Madness Intent at full blast, even if it took two of such blasts to knock him the fuck out. Seriously, a Foundation Establishment 5th stage is pretty darn tough apparently. The first blast was on instinct, but as soon as I saw him smile and take out his sword, I knew he was the asshole kind and took him out immediately. Shoulda figured he was an asshole when he broke my door. So what exactly do I have here? A red halo passed out on the floor, a golden halo floating above his finger, and a green ha- huh, this is the first time I''ve seen a halo do that. I watch in real-time as the horrified-looking woman''s dim green halo gets dimmer and dimmer until it turns grey. Presuming she led the dipshit to my door, I don''t feel that bad at watching her lose her luck with fascination. When it settles on a dull grey, I turn my gaze to her. ¡°Leave before you join him.¡± I glance at the man on the floor who she probably thinks is dead. Without even a nod she runs away, a scream of terror on her lips. I''d just kill her if I was a psychopath like everyone thinks I am. No, I only kill bad people, and maybe people that really piss me off. Killing is not something I''d thought of doing outside of like joining the army back home. I would have, too, if a bunch of psychiatrists hadn''t barred me from it, dicks. As for acceptable targets? This dude drooling on my floor looks like one to me. I use my divine sense on the dude and see that he indeed has a Physique, yet I still can''t tell what it is automatically. Does it have something to do with emotions? Maybe. This¡­ will be the first time I''m using this power, so I''m a bit weary. Then again, this dude did think I was an easy kill so fuck him. It was quicker than I expected. One moment I''m standing over him, the next a dark wave of Qi covers his body head to toe, a connection to it coming from the center of my chest. Qi manifestation at this level isn''t something you''d be able to see a Qi Gathering Cultivator do, so I am a bit curious about what would have happened if I used the ability before breaking through. The Qi keeps wrapping around him, piercing through his robes and flesh with jagged constructs created inside what''s essentially a semi-translucent black-and-red blanket. His red halo rapidly darkened, going closer and closer to black. The smell of blood fills the air as the Qi retreats to me, and a corpse riddled with stab wounds is all that remains on the floor, blood pooling out of it. ¡°Ninety percent chance¡±, yeah I can see that. I guess if you have a very good fucking doctor on hand or a Miracle drug they could live easily enough. Otherwise, good luck. Without that, there''s a higher likelihood you''ll turn into a pincushion and then go and cross the Yellow River. So, that wasn''t creepy at all. Who am I fooling? I just saw a fucker get iron maiden¡¯d, I''m positive the only reason I can joke is my sick sense of humor and the fact I have that Willpower perk. Shit''s showing use in spades right now. Distracting myself seems like the play here, don''t look at the dead guy and obviously, he won''t be there. Ancestral Heart Destroying Physique, is a physique passed down from generation to generation that allows the owner to destroy the fighting will of their enemies. When activated, it gives its owner an aura that targets the hearts of his enemies. Making them give up by thinking the fight is hopeless from the start. What the fuck is this supposed to be? Isn''t this just killing intent? How the fuck does it judge friend from foe? Not gonna lie fam, this shit¡¯s probably hella useful but right now there are too many unknowns. At least I can turn these things off and on. Shrugging to myself, I keep it mentally clicked off for now. My attention then goes to the ring he had on his finger. Using some Qi, I pick it up, placing it in my palm. Seeing the golden halo, bright and shiny, yet not a peep from the ring has me raise an eyebrow. Guess I''ll start the conversation first. ¡°You must think me a fool to think I wouldn''t notice a little pest latching onto that mongrel.¡± A FRIENDLY greeting. A sigh comes first, followed by a rather morose voice. ¡°What do you want, monster?¡± This is the start of a pleasant conversation, I just know it. Chapter 3- Spoils from the Xianxia Pi?ata ¡°What was your purpose, leeching off of a Son of Heaven? Don''t even try saying it was out of goodwill.¡± Ah yes, me asking what the ring spirit was doing, they always have a goal or some shit. Still, to play the part better I let my face fall into a natural sneer. ¡°You knew he was a Son of Heaven and you still killed him?!¡± Huh, the Ring Daddy was in fact, not a Daddy. I couldn''t tell the first time they spoke, with how quiet and gruff she was. ¡°More importantly, how were you even able to? I felt no sign of Heavenly judgment, nor the attempt to save my disciple''s life, as it had many times before.¡± Instead of answering immediately, I close the door, putting Qi in the place where the lock used to be as a temporary fix. Then I walk over to the small table by the window, take a relaxed seat, and summon a bottle of wine from my ring. The ring spirit doesn''t say anything, seemingly pondering her own question. What she doesn''t realize is I too am pondering on what the fuck do I even tell her here? Wait a minute, I''m the bad guy now! I don''t gotta tell her shit! ¡°Don''t think you can get away with not answering me, leech. I, myself have no need to tell you anything, it''s not my fate in the palm of my hand.¡± I clench my fist around the ring. ¡°You arrogant bastard¡­¡± Ah, wait, this was supposed to be a pleasant conversation. Whoopsies, teehee. ¡°Despite this, I shall show you a small mercy and answer one thing.¡± The soul stays quiet, waiting for me to continue, I fill my wine bowl and take a sip. Damn, I''m running low on mid-grade Spiritual wine, gotta go out soon. Oh wait, I was talking, where was I? ¡°I killed him explicitly because he was one of Heaven''s chosen, one that the Heavens can do easily without seeing they abandoned him moments before his death.¡± ¡°Moments before his¡­ You mean to say that you, a Demonic Cultivator, can see the Mandate of Heaven?¡± She scoffs. I just hum noncommittally in response. I mean, technically it''s true, right? I''m assuming I''m the only asshole going around that can see Providence halos. At the reminder, I glance at my halo for a brief moment. I¡­ What the fuck is going on with my halo? It''s still black but the wisp of red has grown a bit more in color, and with it, there''s now a small wisp of gold. My eyes glance over to the ring in my hand, when I gained the first wisp of red I''d dimmed the Wei dudes halo some, the second I presume came from that corpse on my floor. So why didn''t the Soul in a Ring lose some of her gold? I almost widened my eyes at a realization, barely stopping myself from doing so by taking a sip of wine. She hasn''t lost any of her gold, because I''m still being counted as her opportunity. I''m unsure whether I should laugh or cry for this pitiful woman. ¡°You¡­ you really can see the Mandate of Heaven, can''t you?¡± She says after a while, I''ve just been taking this time to get drunk again off of spiritual wine. ¡°Tell me what it says of me, I must have lost its favor many years back.¡± She all but demands, albeit rather bitterly. Also, lady, are you not the least bit concerned about your disciple''s body on the floor, full of holes? Am I the only sane person in this world? Wait no, I''ve never been sane. ¡°You make far too many demands for someone so vulnerable,¡± I say with a shake of my head. Back to Villain acting to get my point across it is. ¡°Gahahaha, I''ve killed hundreds of thousands of scum like you. What need do I have to be afraid? Even if I die in full, it''s not decided by me.¡± I squint. Fuck it, time to get a point across. Also, she has a grandpa laugh, it''s mildly amusing, but that''s not important right now. ¡°You''re still favored by Heaven. More so than the ¡®disciple¡¯ you stuck yourself to.¡± ¡°Truly? Then I-¡± ¡°Yet, like that disciple, that favor can be destroyed. Snuffed out like a candle left outside on a stormy night. Do you know why?¡± ¡°...¡± No words are spoken, but she seems to get my point. Phew, that''s good, I really didn''t want to bully her more, but I still have my pride as a villain to uphold. ¡°So I can assure you, Spirit, you''ve never met someone like me.¡± Boom, mic drop. ¡°Long Yu Shan¡­ Call me by my name you brat.¡± It''s almost mumbled, and with that, I know she was thoroughly defeated. ¡°Dragon Fish Mountain? A fitting name for you, little fish.¡± One day, I''ll call her Magikarp. ¡°It''s Jade! Dragon Jade Mountain!¡± Huh, who knew purposely getting her name wrong would cause such a big reaction? Cultivators, amirite? ///___/// Long Yu Shan, when more relaxed, is a chatterbox. Oh, she still seethed and whined but it was in that old man grumbling kind of way. Someone that knew they were wrong and couldn''t do shit about it. For all intents and purposes, me having her ring is a whole lot better than me throwing it out or destroying it. Instead of wearing it in fear that''d allow her to do something to me, I''ve gone with putting it on a necklace, as apparently, all it needs is skin contact to let me speak to her. If she could do something with just that, she would have by now. Or do I just have a gambling addiction? Yes. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. On the subject of destroying her ring, however, if I somehow figured out a way to destroy the ring, she''d probably die. She''s both bound to it and her soul is sealed tighter than a pickle jar that''s been glued shut (fuck people that do that). Who did it? I dunno, my affection points aren''t high enough, and she didn''t tell me when I asked. I just know she seems to have truly been a powerhouse back in the day. On that note, could I pester her to teach me? No, and I didn''t even ask. She brought up that her techniques wouldn''t be suitable for someone so demonic in nature. In short, she''s kind of useless to me, save for stories of the past of places and people even the old Xiang Rong had never heard of. As for her disciple whose corpse is now sitting preserved in my spatial ring? She didn''t actually care for the guy all that much. Cheng Hong was exactly the type of guy I''m most worried about in this world, but also my best target. Arrogant beyond belief, a huge hypocrite, and lecherous, but the worst thing of all is that he was next-level self-righteous. Look, I am the first three of those things, but I don¡¯t try to justify any of the bad shit I do. Even in my last life, this life it¡¯s kind of a given for my future I¡¯ll be doing more bad shit. Those self-righteous types delude themselves into thinking they can do no wrong. That yes, they who rape and pillage are indeed heroes of justice. Fucking disgusting, I''ll take their luck and their unique Physique¡¯s without hesitation ten times out of ten. As for keeping his corpse¡­ I''m a Demonic Puppet Master in the making, so why wouldn''t I keep the corpse of a 5th stage Foundation Establishment? It''s free real estate. Besides, protagonist templates always have bullshit body strength even if the technique they cultivate isn''t a body one. Cheng just proved that theory right. Along with his corpse, however, he left a lot of other goodies behind in his spatial ring. The things specific to his clan I put aside. None of it''s useful for me since I don''t have the right Roots to use them. His sword however is a Flying Sword. A mid-grade Earth artifact at that. Which is something I can use even if it has that pesky blood-binding requirement. I''m sure Book-chan can help me get around that. Ignoring the feeling of said book grumbling in my soul, I carry on with my perusal of Cheng''s lootbag spatial ring. Lots of alchemy supplies, pill recipes, ingredients, a cauldron, a mortar and pestle. We can see what his main occupation was here. Decent amount of pills too, most of which would be useful in combat. The Essence Refining and Soul Nurturing Pills especially catch my eye. While the Essence Refining Pills are only a Tier 2 pill, they are why he''s so tough despite not being a body cultivator. As for the Soul Nurturing Pill, those things are Tier 5. There''s a whole bottle of them here. Taking these strengthens the Soul rather significantly. If he had used them before coming here I doubt my Intent would have worked. ¡°I made those, I urged him to take them immediately after we reached my stash.¡± Long Yu Shan, or Shan I''m gonna start calling in my head, pipes up with some lament in her tone. ¡°I had thought you were too obtuse to make pills.¡± I hum. I mean, a bit harsher than I was going for but it gets what I meant across. ¡°Bastard, just because I only cared for fighting you thought me an invalid?!¡± How to win an argument with a woman 101. Let the implications win it for you, and minimize voice usage. They usually dig themselves into a pit. Only fails sixty percent of the time. I like those odds. Instead of responding verbally, I glance at the full bottle of Aphrodisiac Pills. Eyes full of judgment. ¡°I didn''t teach him how to make those!¡± Nailed it. Shanny shuts up after that so I resume my examination. Oh, look, a diary. A quick skim has me confirm that yes, Cheng did indeed use those pills rather often. He even planned on using them on his former fianc¨¦ after winning their duel. I''ll keep this book and show it to her if we ever meet. I can probably get a favor out of it. There''s also a locket with a picture of a stern-looking man in golden robes, his dad maybe? The last personal thing however is a jade token with a cherry blossom engraved on it along with the name Liu Mei. Heroine is my bet, there''s a good chance she''ll try to kill me, maybe I can show her the diary as well? Multi-use tools are the best kind of tool after all. Spirit stones he had a decent amount of. 1000 Low, 500 Mid, 80 High, 30 Ancient. It''s actually both my and Rong''s first time seeing Ancient ones. These things are so rare you only really see them in the really big sects. I''m half tempted to auction one or two. Auctioning money for more money is highly amusing to me. It''d work too, as spirit stones are used to help break through bottlenecks. Something I don''t have. Next, I take a glance over his one-use combat scroll collection. No repeats so truly one-use items, a shame. Most of these will be useful when or if I ever decide to use them. I''m probably better off giving them to Blue since I know I''d just hoard them forever. Another thing I''ll give to Blue is this Celestial staff I found. It''s a low-grade Mortal artifact that has a small amount of holy magic in it. Good weapon for matching his Roots. Maybe it''ll suppress the Demonic Physique a little. The other artifacts are a Defensive Talisman that''s worse than the one I have, a Healing Bracelet, a pair of earrings, a large black cloak, and five serpentine daggers. The earrings are the highest-grade item I''ve seen at High-Grade Sky, with the cloak not far behind at Mid-Grade Sky. ¡°Those are mine, another thing that would have saved him from you.¡± Shan chimes in again. ¡°Nothing would have saved him from me.¡± ¡°Bah, it would have made him run away when I told him to.¡± She scoffs. Interesting, for the first time in both lives I might have to pierce my ears. For now, however, what takes my attention is the cloak. More importantly, it''s the book that it was wrapped around. Shade Serpent Assassin Manual? With these daggers and cloak? This fucker had found an inheritance. ¡°He couldn''t use any of that. The techniques I taught him and his clans directly clashed with them.¡± Shan exposition dumps. Despite being a chatterbox and a woman, she really is helpful on occasion. Skimming through the book, I''m rather delighted. While it''s not a perfect fit, these techniques are actually something I can very much use. My problem before now was I didn''t have any combat techniques. This fixes that. I''ll have to put my own spin on these however, hiding isn''t really my style. I''m the Villain, after all, I need to be flamboyant and showy as fuck. Especially this spell, Eclipse Escape. It''s basically a very short-range teleport. Instead of using it to escape, however, I''ll use it to Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru people. Or just scare them. Well, that''s enough for now. Before I take any of these pills or learn any of the techniques, I need to make sure shit like the Cheng situation doesn''t happen again. I leave my room with a purpose in my steps. ///___/// ¡°I''m sorry Young Master Xiang. Can you repeat that?¡± The balding owner of the Inn who also acts as its manager asks with wide eyes. Yet another person I don''t know the name of. I can''t call him by his halo color because I already have a Green. Baldy it is. Baldy here seems to have expected me, if not for the reason he thought. Upon my arrival at the front desk, he was already waiting. He quickly informed me the woman from earlier was fired. I mean, I didn''t ask for that but it''s not like I care regardless. Instead, I told him something he clearly didn''t expect. ¡°I want to buy this establishment and hire the current staff as servants. Don''t make me repeat myself again, name your price.¡± Yes, this was my genius idea for the lack of manpower. Admittedly I''ve also grown somewhat attached to drinking in the garden at night here. ¡°I¡­ can I be honest, Young Master Xiang?¡± Ohohoho, aren''t you a brave one? I raise a brow as my respect for Baldy goes up a notch. I wave to him to go on. He takes a deep breath, then his eyes harden. ¡°Most of the staff would likely quit, they fear you too much.¡± Damn, harsh, very true but it still stings a lil. ¡°As they should.¡± FUCK YOU XIANG RONG! Baldy actually grins a little at that. Maybe, just maybe, he heard my internal dialogue? Nah, who am I kidding here? The man just has balls of steel for not even being a cultivator. ¡°Indeed, and so I offer a proposal. You can buy the Inn.¡± he gestures around with his hand. ¡°Instead of me leaving with the funds of that sale, I request you hire me to manage your new servants.¡± He says with a deep bow. Hold on, doesn''t that fix like, all the problems my buying this place would cause? I can''t tell if this guy actually cares about his employees, or if he just wants to make more money. I fear it''s both. Competency scares me in a world like this. "That is¡­ surprisingly intelligent, and kind for a Mortal.¡± Right!? I''m not going crazy, even the ancient ghost is surprised here. Ah fuck, whatever, I''ll just keep a close eye on this guy. Not like he can skim from a cultivator''s wallet here. ¡°I can respect your boldness. Kowtow only fifty times and I will accept that arrangement.¡± Rong, buddy, pal, why are you the way that you are? Interlude 1- What the Xianxia people doin? ///_Frozen Flower_/// Liu Mei was someone who enjoyed two things in life. Making music, and when she''s not making music, she enjoys silence. So it''s with a great effort, she puts her Ruan down to glare at the one demanding her attention. "Heeehe, sorry senior sister." Her Junior Sister rubs the back of her head. Liu Mei had once asked her what the gesture meant. At the time her Junior Sister just made a peculiar face and then explained it was when someone knows they''re in the wrong and feels sheepish. Then Liu Mei asked what feeling sheepish is and her Junior Sister''s face had twitched rather violently. To this day, Liu Mei still doesn''t know what feeling sheepish is. She''s never particularly felt like a sheep herself. She doesn''t grow wool either. She does know, however, that if her Junior Sister is coming to her like this it means she''s done wrong of some kind. "What have you done now?" Liu Mei asks calmly, putting her Ruan down beside her on its own blue cushion. Li Hua, her Junior Sister, squirms around at that. "You know that our Sect and the Golden Lotus Sect are not really on the best of terms, yes?" This is not new information. There''s always been a long-standing rivalry between the Frozen Blossoms Sect and the Golden Lotus Sect from her memory. It''s been said the relationship was quite good before an argument over a thousand-year ginseng. Then things only continued to sour to a point where it''s not uncommon to see a fight start between Its members if they are in the same room. It''s even gotten worse with the latest hidden realm being found between their territories. All of this is common knowledge in the large area of Huanglong. Why is her Junior Sister telling her something she already knows? At the blank look on Liu Mei''s face, her Junior Sister starts speaking again. "I may have given one of their heir candidates a Jade Token!" Li Hua exclaims. Liu Mei is puzzled about why she''s even telling her this. The act itself is rather unwise with the state of their sects, but Liu Mei believes her Junior Sister would rather have just not told anyone of her rather troublesome action. Giving a Jade has a lot of implicit meanings that Liu Mei still doesn''t fully understand, her Master had tried their best to educate her on it as Liu Mei is the Chief Disciple of the Sect. A rather troublesome position, truth be told. Her Junior Sister takes her silence as an opportunity to keep talking, fidgeting her hands as she does. "I gave him yours! I took one of your tokens that Master made and told the boy my name was Liu Mei!" That¡­ that is beyond the mere act of being troublesome. Liu Mei doesn''t know all the implications of this, but someone from a rival faction with the token of their faction''s Chief Disciple seems very bad. With a frown on her face, she levels an icy glare at her Junior Sister. "Why?" "He¡­ He seemed manly?" Liu Mei''s glare grows in power along with her annoyance. "Look! He was righteous and heroic, and he saved me from a band of bandits!" "You''re in the sixth stage of Qi Gathering, there is no bandit in the vicinity of our sect that could be a threat to you." "I was spiritually in danger!" Liu Mei, realizes now, that her Junior Sister is an idiot. "I gave him your token because using my identity would get me in trouble with Master. As for you, we both know Master would be happy if you met a man regardless of his Sect." Not just an idiot, a dangerous idiot. "Your logic is flawed. I''m telling Master." At that, her Junior Sister''s eyes widen, and the girl immediately drops to her knees and starts kowtowing. "Please please please please don''t tell Master!" "I see no other solution." "There is one! We just need to get your token back!" Her Junior Sister jumps to her feet again, vibrant as her usual obnoxious self. "We''ll find Cheng Hong, get your token, and return before Master even knows he had it. No one will suspect anything if you just say you''re testing yourself against Demonic Beasts. I of course just want to see my Senior Sister''s prowess." Liu Mei thinks about that proposal for a moment. Is something like that worth it? No, not really. Would Master be happy if she said no? Maybe. Master has been constantly nagging her to be more benevolent, and show more kindness to her Juniors. This would probably count as a kind act. Her Junior Sister would also owe her. She can use that debt to make the girl stay out of her pavilion. "I will recover the token." She decides with a small nod of her head. "Perfect! We can go-" "There is no ''We''. I do not trust your lust-addled mind to accompany me in seeing this man." "Gah!?" Hopefully, this will be done quickly. ///_Time Rewound_/// Everything is wrong. For what feels like the thousandth time, that statement goes through the mind of Luo Xue. Where did things start to go wrong? When she broke off her marriage to follow Wei Tianyu? Or was it when she first encountered the Demon Saintess, Mo Sha? Could it have been when Wei Tainyu abandoned her in that hidden realm? Was it when despite all odds, she survived, thrived even, having changed her luck and fate? No, she knows exactly when things went wrong. It was when Long Jie stabbed her in the back when she was ascending. Yet, she woke up from that nightmare. Back in the body of her eighteen-year-old self. Where the only thing that worried her was her upcoming marriage to Xiang Rong, despite her love for Wei Tianyu, Luo Xue feels a sneer take over her face. She knows that Wei bastard''s true colors now. After taking a moment to calm herself, she decides to go over what she''s done since her return. Her first decision had been to kill Long Jie. As an expert at the Peak of Transcendence Defining, she had a perfect memory. She knew Long Jie was actually the former servant of her fianc¨¦. In her kindness to the fellow powerhouse, she had not mentioned that embarrassing past. Now she knows she was wrong. The man serving her former fianc¨¦ is not the Long Jie she knew. Which meant the man who stabbed her in the back was an immortal who incarnated into Long Jie''s body. She had still debated killing the boy, innocent as he is now before more troubling events unfolded. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Xiang Rong destroyed his cultivation when he never did before. Then even more miraculously, he broke any possible record she knew of by immediately returning to his past level, stronger. His new cultivation is far sturdier than his last one. That''s not even mentioning the fact he could block her divine sense somehow. Luo Xue had originally thought of Xiang Rong as just an overly arrogant man, desperate in his attempts to seem important after his family''s death. This is why she pushed for the dissolution of their engagement at this time when he should have been disoriented. In the original timeline, Xiang Rong had angered a rather infamous Son of Heaven named Cheng Hong. Cheng Hong beat him half to death and shattered his cultivation. Shortly after that incident, Xiang Rong faded into obscurity, and she never actually broke off her engagement with him. It had hung over her head for years before they finally declared him dead. Shortly after that, Long Jie started to become a well-known name. Only now has she realized, that Xiang Rong never died. That Intent was unmistakable, it was the Madness intent of one of the Demon Continent''s most violent powerhouses. The Berserker Demon, Hong Jue. Hong Jue, she realizes, would have had a very significant reason for killing Cheng Hong in the manner he did if he were Xiang Rong. He had paraded the Son of Heaven''s carcass like it was a trophy. It was both a disgusting and horrifying act for those in the Righteous Faction. Now knowing that the violent lover of the Demon Saintess was her former fianc¨¦ gives Luo Xue a complicated feeling. It also explains why Mo Sha would rush at her in every battle, Mo Sha had always had a few screws loose when it came to Hong Jue. The cost of this information being only 30,000 spirit stones was practically a steal. She refuses to acknowledge that anything else happened in that garden. Instead of dwelling on what''s happened, she needs to focus on what''s to come. The most important thing is the Three Sect Battle over the Time Immortal''s hidden realm. Her Azure Mist Sect, the Golden Lotus Sect, and the Crimson Guardian Sect fought over ownership of the then-unknown realm. The fourth top Sect in Huanglong couldn''t participate after a scandal between them and Cheng Hong. The mad bastard had used aphrodisiacs on their Chief Disciple, a crime so horrible even the Golden Lotus Sect had officially cut ties with him. To think a man like that became the Lord of Huanglong years later. Luo Xue almost scoffs at the thought. As for the Inheritance in the hidden realm? This time around she already took the main one, destroying any trace of it being there, along with taking the Celestial Destiny Changing Fruit. It was just as delicious as she remembered. Covering her traces by using the tool Wei Tianyu as a cover, she did it with everyone none the wiser. Unfortunately, her hourglass necklace that seems to have brought her back in time was broken when she found it, so she can''t afford any mistakes. So consider her dismay when things went wrong again. She had just received word that Xiang Rong killed Cheng Hong in an instant. Everything is wrong. The thought goes through her head once again. Luo Xue sighs. She needs a drink. ///_Bloody Valley_/// "Sect Leader, this one reports a deviation in Young Master Xiang Rong." "Oh?" "He shattered his own cultivation, then almost immediately reached Foundation Establishment a few days after." She puts her book down, fully focusing on the Shadow Guard. The man doesn''t make a sound or movement under her gaze, he has been trained well. She thinks this one was trained by little Lianfeng, she''ll have to reward that girl. "Tell me, did his Root change?" "This one has failed you Sect Leader!" The man kowtows, hitting his head on the ground hard enough she can smell blood. "The Young Master has the divine sense of a Peak Nascent Soul Cultivator, more powerful than my own. His information is not something I can look at unnoticed!" "Very well. Keep an eye on him." "Yes, Sect Leader! Here is the full written report." She waves the overly eager man away. There is much to ponder from this report. A sense of eagerness fills her, and she can''t stop the grin from coming to her face. Much to ponder, indeed. ///_Wandering Aimlessly_/// "Did you hear? The branch family Xiang Young Master bought the best Inn in Shanhe. I tried booking a room when I was journeying here but I was blocked at the door. Had to settle for a second-rate inn." The cultivator scoffs, then takes a sip of his bottle. "How overbearing! I''ve only heard nasty things about that man, Xiang Rong." Another shakes his head. "A villain in the making from what I''ve heard. Us common Cultivators better steer clear from his path." "Do you think he will come to the auction in Huangjing this year? I''m worried as it''s the biggest one in a hundred years. The sects are already competitive enough." "Bah. What nonsense did you think you''d win anything in an auction that large? You may as well be a frog chasing swan meat." a round of laughter sounded out at the man''s expense, much to his obvious embarrassment. The only one not laughing is a hooded figure, bundled fully in a large brown cloak. The figure instead approaches the bar. "Just the wine." They say, dropping a single spirit stone. The bartender goes on to say that''s too little before his mind boggles realizing it''s a High-Grade Spirit Stone. He quickly snatches it up and is about to graciously thank his new benefactor only to realize they aren''t there anymore. On a hill, by the distance of at least a few towns away, the figure sits under the moonlight and takes a sip from the wine bottle she just bought. "Xiang Rong, huh? Let''s hope you can entertain me." Chapter 4- She Who Has Good Booze ///___/// "Why do you have a Numinous Treasure?" "This?" I hold up brick-chan- no, no the brick isn''t a chan. I hold up the Lordly Brick of Divine Might. "Yes, that. A strange one. It doesn''t look like anything I''ve seen before." Shan humms audibly, well audibly to me as Green and Blue haven''t once reacted to her speaking. I had to explain to the two of them that I wasn''t speaking to them when I talked to the air. One of my better explanations if I do say so myself. "Silence dogs, don''t waste this one''s time by asking things beyond your comprehension." A good explanation if I do say so myself. I had even discovered something. If I speak in one-word sentences I can seemingly say stuff without insulting people. Well, it''s closer to 50/50. "Imbecile." "You brat! What do you mean by this disrespect!?" Shanny rages. "To think this could be just any Numinous Treasure." I scoff, okay I don''t know where you''re going with this one Rongy mouth, but consider me amused so far. "Have you ever laid eyes on something truly invincible before? Something even an immortal could never hope to break with force?" "That¡­ you couldn''t mean¡­ no that''s not possible, that''d be too¡­" Shan please, say a complete sentence, I beg of you. Don''t be mind broken over a fucking brick! Instead of responding in fear of breaking the spirit further, I scoff haughtily and put the brick back in my ring. Then I look out the carriage window and just silently judge the rolling hills around us. Yes, just a week after buying an Inn I''m leaving it behind. After buying said Inn, I used all five of the Essence Refining Pills. I considered buying a fancy body cultivation manual or using the one from the Xiang sect. I decided against it. One can cultivate the body without a manual, it''s just a manual usually has them attuning their body to one thing or another. Seeing that one of my gimmicks is stealing other people''s unique Physiques, I don''t know if that''d be a detriment to me or not. So I just decided to follow the path of no specialization. I''m now sitting at almost as high a level of Essence cultivation as Qi. The seventh Step of Muscle Altering, from just five pills. I''d consider that a good deal considering Xiang Rong''s not worked out a day in his life. Shan considered it bullshit. I really do fear for this spirit''s mental health, even if she insists mental strength is her specialty. I wonder how easily it would be to mind-break a ring-bound spirit that wasn''t a specialist in mental arts? Eh, I''ll think of this when the time for it comes. For now, I''m just thankful I don''t need to scrape black sludge off my body again for a while. As for my Qi cultivation¡­ I''m still at the 9th stage of Foundation Establishment. I would have just broken through to Core Formation, but I was stopped by Book-chan. I got the vague feeling of the time not being right sent to my mind by the book. Hey, Book-chan has never led me wrong, I''m trusting the Demonic Sentient Book. I do, however, decide to hide my cultivation. The Shade Serpent had it as one of his most basic techniques in his manual. So to everyone else, I''m still a freshly made Foundation Establishment Cultivator. As for the Soul Nurturing Pills, I tried one but nothing seemed to happen. Shan seemed to have started doubting her alchemy ability that day. Eh, not like it''s my problem. As for the other loot I''d gotten from Cheng, most of it is just sitting in the ring waiting to be used or sold at the auction. Which is where I''m heading. The capital of Huanglong, Huangjing. Truly, Cultivators are the height of creativity. I roll my eyes at the thought. Then I have to ignore the feeling of reproaching my two servants for flinching. Oi, you fucks don''t need to be that scared of my annoyance! You''re just making me more annoyed! Moving on, the auction. The Inn had one of those fancy carriages that some places have, so buying the Inn had the carriage as a bonus. That''s what we''re using now as we head to the auction. As for the man driving it, I''ve been calling him Grey since he only has a grey halo. Now my collection of servants with halos before being chosen by heaven is almost complete. I just need a black one to complete the collection¡­ That came out wrong. I meant I need a black halo servant¡­ that''s not any better. I decide to stop thinking along this line of thought. Amit¨¡bha- wait, I know what that means now and that doesn''t help here, fuck! "Young Master Xiang! We have a problem!" Grey calls out from outside, and my bad mood skyrockets. Hell, even my brow twitches. Whichever moron decided to cause trouble for me right now is about to have a really bad day. "Young Master, should I deal with it? I''ve reached the first stage of Qi Gathering as per your orders." Blue suddenly asks and I blink at him. The fuck you say? Bitch it''s been a week! You have an utterly shit manual! Why are you the way that you are? Fuck this, I''m gonna deal with this quick then contemplate life or some shit. "This humble Lord will deign these ants with his presence for the first and last time of their pitiful lives." I wave him off, quickly, regally, leaving the carriage so as to not smack Blue for being so god damned protagonist-like. Now, let''s see what the problem is here. A mix of men and a few ugly women I think. Crude weapons, not fit for the lowest of cultivators. Mismatched armor, obviously scavenged from previous encounters, each piece a patchwork of metal and leather. They''ve positioned themselves surprisingly strategically across the road, blocking any path forward, and a few blocked the road behind the carriage. As soon as they saw me their eyes glinted with greed, some even laughed. I too, feel like laughing at the fact morons like this actually exist. Seriously guys? Not a guard in sight, super expensive looking carriage, a single young man steps out? I don''t even have my armor on. It''s fucking obvious I''m a cultivator. "Well well well, what do we have here." I''m not doing this today. Fuck this in its entirety. Unfortunately, I can''t get the bandits behind the carriage with this move, but they''ll probably run off after seeing it. What is that move? Oh, it''s just slotting in the Ancestral Heart Destroying Physique then blasting everyone in front of me with my Madness intent. "You¡­ what are you plotting?" Shanny asks hesitantly, seemingly seeing my change in attitude. I don''t respond to her. "All of you¡­ Kill yourselves, now." Before my eyes, the road gets covered in blood. ///___/// A very short time later "My lady, we caught a few bandits running in terror from what they say is a demon wearing the face of a man." She raises a brow. "A cultivator then. They must be on their way to the auction as well. Carry on with the trip, we''ll let the city guards deal with the captured bandits." She orders her Guard Captain. "As you wish." He bows and goes to do just that. Only when they reach the scene those bandits fled from does her expression twist. She and her guards are horrified at what they see. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ///___/// Elsewhere¡­ A chosen of Heaven makes his way through the thick forest on his way to the capital city, Huangjing, for the Hundred-Year Grand Jade Auction. He stops in place for a moment, then leans behind a crevice to pick up a rare Yang Herb. Then he continues on his journey. This occurrence frequently happens: rare herbs, lost artifacts, feathers and fur from sacred beasts, etc. The man is significantly slowed by how much he''s stopping to pick up, always trusting both his luck and instincts. Suddenly, he pauses, not to pick something up, but because a cold shiver traveled through him. Something has happened. Something wrong, an opportunity was lost he feels and he doesn''t know what. Then he smells blood coming from the road. Whatever it is, it''s best if he stays away from what could cause that. Looks like he''s continuing on the long forest path. Shun Fang will arrive in time, his instincts are telling him he will. ///___/// Back to our ''hero'' We stopped at a village I won''t be bothered to remember the name of. Both because it''s in character, and I really just don''t care. I''m still feeling moody for some reason. "Master, we should head to the Inn," Blue says from my side. He seems to be aware I tolerate his presence as he''s generally the only one to speak up. Green apparently is just a little dumb so he''s been told to keep his mouth shut. As for Grey, the man pales every time I look at him after I had him drive the carriage over the pools of blood. Hey, I at least used my Qi to push the bodies aside. Fuck it, if he feels so squeamish he should build up immunity. "You, clean the blood off the carriage. Green, try to look less incompetent, Blue guide me to the Inn." "Good, he can serve to be less squeamish. It was just some bandits." Shan echoes my thoughts exactly. Honestly, she''s my only friend so far outside of Book-chan. Even if she doesn''t seem to think so herself. "Should I order a bottle of wine and let you retire to your room?" Blue asks, proving he has what it takes to be a proper butler. If he wasn''t a Chosen of Heaven with a physique I kept being tempted by I''d be happier. "You dare say I drink dog water?" Rong translation; No thanks, I''m good. "Of course not, Master. This humble one begs your forgiveness." He calmly gets on his knees and kowtows¡­ this man is getting too used to me and I''m not sure how to feel about that. "Hmph. Lead the way to the Inn before I cripple your legs." "Right away, Master." "I don''t know how they''re so loyal to you." I''ve no clue either. Unfortunately, I alone am the one to hear my thoughts. Seeing that we parked the carriage at the Inn, it''s not a long walk to the door. Blue pushes the large wooden door open with a loud creak, immediately following the flow of conversation inside cut off. I stepped inside, and whatever murmurs were left also ceased as well. A ''natural to this body'' sneer comes to my face as I glance at the many patrons, travelers for the most part. A sea of grays and greens, not a speck of blue. Wait¡­ what the fuck was that? My gaze immediately snaps to a figure at the bar. Someone bundled in a thick brown cloak that I can''t see any features from behind them. I immediately use my divine sense, the last test for the person in front of me. Nothing, I can sense nothing. Why am I now hyper-focused on this person like my life depends on it? That''s easy. They don''t have a Halo The more I look at them the more sure I should just leave and never come back. I don''t feel like fucking with someone like that. They have to be an Immortal or close to it. Shan was decently close it herself from what I''ve gathered and I can still see her golden halo. Then before I can drag my eyes away, something else catches my eye. An innocent-looking bottle, nondescript in every way, sitting on the bar by the stranger''s gloved hand. My body screams to have it. I can''t fight this instinct. For the first time, being a raging alcoholic has failed me. Fuck, if I''m interacting with an immortal, I''m gonna do this right. "You, how much for the bottle? Name any price." Of course, that being the shit I say, and my trained instinct to stay in character has me pointing at them. Ah, I see, this is how I die then. Well, it was a good run while it lasted. GG no re, let me stay dead this time, pls and thanks. Then I hear something I hadn''t expected. The figure chuckles. It''s a soft, melodic thing. The voice of a woman, a young-sounding one. After that, all sound around me ceases in its entirety. Before, everyone had stopped talking. This time the world stopped talking. One does not truly comprehend what true silence is until there is utterly nothing. No background noise at all. Shan hasn''t piped in with the usual comments either. I take a glance beside me, then poke Blue. He doesn''t even blink. She fucking froze time. "Take a seat, Xiang Rong." Of course, she knows my name. Is this the RoB that put me here? If so I have some complaints! Still, I do what she asks, taking a seat beside her at the bar. I still can''t see her face in full on account of the hood, but some black hairs are visible peeking through the sides of her hood, along with her lips forming a grin. "You never answered my question. How much for the bottle?" Et tu voice? Are you suicidal, Xiang Rong? Did you wish to die? If so, fair, can''t blame you in this economy. Instead of smiting me like an ant, she just chuckles again. "It''s not for sale, but I''m willing to share." She takes a jade glass from nowhere and puts it next to her own. Then she cracks open the bottle, and I know Heaven. A delicate aroma of jasmine and lotus mingling with hints of ripe spiritual peaches and lychees, underscored by a subtle spice that whispers of distant mountains and ancient herbs. The faint essence of Celestial wood and misty rain emerge, creating an intoxicating allure that transports me to a land of soft clouds. The fragrance carries a sense of tranquility and power, promising me not only pleasure but also a glimpse into the divine¡­ This is a nectar that inspires clarity and spiritual awakening. Before I know it, I''m staring at the bottom of an empty jade glass. A warmth travels through me, and my cultivation advances a stage completely out of my control. I don''t really care right now, I feel like bliss. I think I might be a bit of an alcoholic. "That good?" She asks with a laugh. I''m disappointed in myself, I have nothing of equal value to give in exchange for the bottle. No, the bottle is not enough, I''ll marry this woman for unlimited access. Big brain. "Alright, I''ve decided. Xiang Rong, I will be your Master!" What? Seriously what? And for the first time, my Rong-brained mouth says something that isn''t an insult. Unbidden even, as I was still confused. "This humble disciple greets his Teacher!" "Good! I have so much to teach you!" She says, bottle in hand as she throws her cloak off. What the hell have I signed up for? Oh god, she''s cute. Chapter 5- Finding Dogs at the Auction House ///___/// I''ve signed myself up for Hell and I can''t find the emergency exit The thought travels through my mind in an instant, right before I''m sent floating through the air. I''ve got a brief moment of reprieve as I''m launched back first into the abyss of night. Truly, this time, I will die and be free of this place. Then my back hits the ground with a crunch and I know pain. "My back¡­ ow, my back." "You did better that time." Teacher just materializes right next to me, a smile on her face. Or she just moved too fast for me to see, it''s a 50/50, to be honest. "This lord let you off easy." Translation ''I didn''t see any improvement.'' "The one being taught hardly ever notices the changes until they''re pointed out to them." She chides with a chuckle. Yes, for the first time in my new life, someone understands me so I can say whatever the fuck the Rong mouth wants to without consequence. I was honestly very surprised, but I also had something else to chew on at the time. That being the sudden influx of one particular memory. I picked Mysterious Teacher in the companion tab, and now that she''s unlocked, I can remember doing it. Who knew that the companion that ''always stays unfathomable'' would be something beyond basic Immortal? Well, it makes sense, if she were fathomable she would have a halo. This is all based on the assumption I can even see an Immortal''s halo. It could be I''m wrong and she''s just at the first step into Immortality. I have a feeling that''s not the case, however, with how Book-chan seems to feel weary at her presence. Despite Book-chans weariness, if Teacher was going to do anything bad to me she would have done it by now. No, the woman instead took her role seriously. Which leads to where I am now. A week later in frozen time, getting my ass handed to me as I fail to learn the next technique in the Fist Arts she''s drilling into my head. Heavenly Fist of the Infinite Realms, is a bit of a mouthful. The first time I said that she just snorted and said call it Fist Arts since it might as well be called that. Still don''t know what she means by that considering there''s a fucking palm technique in it. Said palm technique is the first one I learned. ''Fist Arts'' my ass. Empyrean Palm, Abyssal Wave, Titanic Might, Ethereal Echo, Celestial Convergence, Demon''s Reversal, and Fist of Past Fate. Of which the first four are simple enough, Celestial Convergence being the technique of combining those four in different variations to make interesting combos. The last two are the problem. Fist of Past Fate isn''t one I can even attempt to learn yet. Teacher said I''m not ready for it. No idea what the hell being ready for that one would mean, but right now I''m assuming it''s being at a higher realm in cultivation. Demon''s Reversal, in an ironic twist of fate, is what I''m struggling with the most. The Demonic Cultivator with the cultivation manual that''s probably the first ever Demonic one is struggling on a move with Demon in the name. Also, what in the flying fuck is Chaotic Qi? More importantly, how does one harvest the Qi of pure chaos and punch with it? "I see you''ve gotten lost in there again." Teacher''s voice breaks my thoughts as I feel a tap on my forehead. Blinking my eyes I look at the woman. She nods in satisfaction at my attention then puts her hands behind her back and smiles. "Tell me, Rong, what is the Dao to cultivators?" The fuck kinda question is that? Her eyes alight with amusement at my look of confusion. Then she makes a ''go on'' gesture. "The Dao is the way? Dao is everything. This one is too ignorant to say more on the subject." I mean, shits vague as fuck here, if it were the one from our world I have an idea but Xianxia-land seemingly has another idea entirely. I''ve mostly just been treating it like The Force to be honest. "That''s a good enough answer already." Teacher interrupts my thoughts, she starts pacing in front of me. "Then what of the Righteous? Or the Demonic?" "I can''t honestly say. This one finds himself lacking as he fails to see how it''d be different for either." She stops pacing and turns to me, snapping out a hand to grab my chin before I can react. "Cultivators are not reasonable. Following the Dao is not reasonable. Going against the heavens is not reasonable. We do it anyway." She says with such an intensity it''s hard to look into her one uncovered eye. "It''s a simple matter. Daoism is what you would call an exclusive club to the Righteous. The perquisite to join them? Be refined, act elegantly, pretend you''re better than everyone else by having proper table manners." She scoffs then lets me go. I bring a hand up to rub at my slightly sore jaw. Then a starting realization hits me like the invincible brick I carry. The Righteous path is a bunch of hipsters. Horrifying thought aside, I have to know the truth for the other faction. "Then the Demonic Cultivators?" I ask her and her grin widens. "Unrefined, uncaring of their so-called elegance. Chaos, to their preconceived path. At the end of it all, everyone''s just a massive hypocrite. To those ''Righteous Cultivators'', I say w¨¯ c¨¤o n¨« m¨¡!" I was not ready to hear that from a woman a foot shorter than me. I''m also glad Demonic Cultivators aren''t hipsters. I can settle for anarchists. Or¡­ are Demonic Cultivators the hipsters. And the Righteous are just a bunch of boomers? I''m confusing myself at this point so I decide to just move on from the subject. "Does that mean you''re a Demonic Cultivator, Teacher?" I ask her, she spins away coyly before looking at me with a sly grin. "I''m whatever is more convenient at the time." I should have expected that. "For now, just know. Stop doubting your place as the villain. According to the definition of evil to a Righteous Daoist, anything chaotic is evil. What are you, if not chaotic?" Was this some whole ass excuse to get me to figure out a martial arts technique? Probably. It was also something I desperately needed to hear. I''ve been wishy-washy in my approach to things. Aimless in what I actually wanted. So when I take her words to heart, harnessing the Chaotic Qi in the surroundings to successfully use the technique, I have a thought going through my mind. I want to see this look of pride on her face more often. ///___/// It''s a day later when Teacher says I''m good enough with Demon''s Reversal. Now she''s just about to let the world move again. So we''re back to where we started, at a bar in a village I still don''t know the name of, standing next to the frozen Blue and Green. Shan is also now back on my neck after putting her away for a bit, seeing as how she had been time-locked as well. "Now remember, I will come to you as I please. The next time I come we''ll start our most important lesson yet." Teacher says, stretching her arms out above her head as if she were a normal person who needed to take such an action. "Yes, this Disciple will be ready to learn the last technique." I nod. Truly, being taught by someone like this is a godsend, considering I started this week not knowing any Xianxia bullshit techniques. Now I know six. Teacher blinks at me. "What? No, that''s way later. Next time I come I''ll show you how to brew wine." For the first time in this life and my last, my knees hit the floor as I kowtow to this divine being. "Disciple is not worthy of your kindness!" "Get up you lug, don''t make me start the world again with you on your knees." She picks my head up and flicks my forehead then drags me up to stand. How dare she not appreciate my appreciation for good booze. Briefly, my mind just goes back to marrying her for that Infinite source. Oh hey, is she blushing? "Shut up." She demands, definitely blushing. "Imbecile student, moron student, stop looking at me you dog!" Then Teacher is gone, and my mind instantly notices the difference as the background noise is back in full. A frown comes to my face, naturally as Rong and as myself. "Young Master Xiang?" Blue asks worriedly. "Brat, what''s put you in such a mood?" Shan also asks. Attentive as always, that one. Their voices drag me out of my thoughts. I''ve been in this world for around two and a half weeks now. Almost half of that time was spent frozen in time with my Teacher. The only person who could understand me, the only person my Rong tongue was nice to. Now that she''s gone? A bitter feeling wells up inside me. I don''t like it. "Young Master Xiang¡­?" "Get me the best room in this hovel." "Right away, Master." "You¡­ What happened to you in the span of an instant? This Chaotic Qi¡­ It''s unsettling." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Wouldn''t you like to know, weather girl? ///___/// The name of the village is Caiyun. When I asked Blue for its name he looked at me in shock. I mean, fair, it really is out of character which is why I hadn''t bothered when we came here originally. Now, however, the small village carries an important memory for me. It''s where I met my Teacher, the first time I tasted Celestial Wine, and the place where I resolved my future goal. What is that goal? Why, it''s similar to most Cultivators truth be told. Become powerful enough to tell anyone to fuck off. I had but a taste of the highest realm, literally and figuratively. I want more. I will embrace my role as the villain, the False Son of Providence, the man who can and will steal the Physiques of those chosen by heaven. And just like a proper Cultivator, those who stand in my way will feel my slight annoyance (Getting truly mad at chaff is below one such as I). Honestly I mostly just resolved myself to the path of violence and not being a hypocrite about it. The first step in my grand plan to Ascension is of course the Auction arc. It was already my main reason for coming here, but meeting a child of heaven is inevitable. The largest Auction of this country in exactly a hundred years? Shit''s the best bait that can possibly bait. If at least one child of heaven doesn''t show up, I''ll bite my brick. So with all that going through my mind, the guards of Huangjing wave us through almost immediately. Hell, the fuck is checking rich-looking people, amirite? "Huangjing¡­ It''s been a long time." Shan says with a heavy sigh. Doesn''t seem like she wants a conversation right now. She''s just being melancholic for the sake of melancholy. "Take me to the auction house." "Not a Winehouse, Master?" Blue asks, shocked once again. "After one drinks the dew of a celestial, all else is nothing but dog water." I shake my head at him. "If I''m drinking dog water wherever I go, I will drink what''s closest." With that I take a bottle of Spiritual Wine out of my spatial ring. It''s low-grade but I actually can''t care about it anymore. A parting gift from Teacher was a bottle of Celestial Wine and a jade glass. It''s something I''m not cracking open any time soon. No, that''s for a special occasion. Or until I have a steady source. Who the fuck knows when Teacher will show up again, could be a week, could be years from now. It''s not a long trip to the auction house. Most people get out of the way of carriages like mine. Especially ones with no guards as that means it''s usually a powerful cultivator. Makes me wonder what the fuck those bandits were thinking if these people understand that perfectly fine. Eh, dwelling on the thoughts of dead people ain''t my thing. "Master, we''ve arrived at the auction house," Blue informs me. I don''t respond right away, finishing my bowl of wine. After finishing, I put the bowl back into my ring, then throw the bottle to Green who catches it in a panic. "The rest is your reward for successfully looking less incompetent. Share some with Blue or don''t, I care not." The Amber Guardian Auction House was opened by what was formerly a branch of the Crimson Guardian Sect (I''m sure there''s no bias). The building is what I expect a fancy Xianxia auction house to be. Intricate wooden carvings of Dragons, their scales glimmering with hints of gold and silver in the sunlight. Ornate lanterns hang from the eaves, I''m sure they look fancy in the night. The auction itself has two parts to it from what I''ve heard. The day portion will have the cheaper items and be open to the public, while the night auction will be invitation-only. Time to secure my invitation. Blue pushes open the door and I''m met by a fragrant scent of incense, a flower that I don''t recognize, along with the scent of sandalwood which I do. The foyer is large, extremely so. It''s adorned with silk banners depicting all manner of legendary artifacts and treasures. Soft music plays from unseen musicians, creating an atmosphere of elegance. A quick use of my divine sense and I locate the band in a side room. They must have an artifact allowing their music to travel through the building. As I did that with my divine sense, my physical eyes glance at the marble columns rising high, leading to a painted ceiling that depicts fights between beasts of all manners and cultivators. "That''s not how that fight went at all," Shan mutters some truly absurd shit, but I''m not that surprised. She seems to have a rather deep connection to Huanglong as a whole. Damn if this place isn''t extra as fuck. You know what? I kinda vibe with it. So what do I do in an auction house like this that definitely has connections to all the top sects and many rich people? Why of course I let the Rong mouth have its way. "Bring me whoever runs this place before this lord''s patience wears out," I state as soon as I see the receptionist or whatever the servants here are called. "Who are you to dare make a mess here?!" The red-faced attendant shouts. Everyone else in the auction house quiets and watches in interest. I had a funny idea¡­ "Blue, introduce me." "You dare question the Young Master Xiang?! Do you wish to suffer a dog''s death?!" Blue shouts back louder, and with more vigor than I could have imagined. Huh, somewhere down the line Blue went from protagonist template to Young Master hype guy. According to the tropes, those are the most loyal servants to an absurd degree. Nice. "Seriously, where did this loyalty come from?" I don''t know Shan, I don''t know. "Green, slap his cheeks a hundred times for this disrespect." It''s mostly a joke of how far they would go at this point. What I don''t expect is the meaty thwack followed by the man being sent through the desk beside him. "Sorry Master, I used too much strength." Good soldiers follow orders. That seems to be the motto of my servants. "Young Master Xiang, this one begs you for the forgiveness of her servant." A new voice calls out, a smoothness to it that only someone experienced with word games could carry. I turn to face her with an arched brow. An Orange halo. The first halo above blue that I''ve seen since arriving in Huangjing. There''s a high likelihood she''s a secondary heroine. Someone running an auction would never become a main heroine. "This one invites you to her office." Without saying a word I motion her to move on, also motioning for my servants to follow. It''s a short trip, the crowd of people parted like a sea of scared pigeons. Hushed whispers of how domineering I was fill my ears. These fools don''t realize if I were the original Rong, that''d have been nice. As for the as-of-yet-unnamed auction lady, her office is rather grand. Gold and jade decorations are all over the place, and the thick scent of incense is strongest here. A tactic used to throw people off. She motions me to take a seat, but I don''t take it. Her smile falters slightly before recovering. "I''m pleased to have the Young Master Xiang at our auction. Unfortunately, if it''s an invitation to the night auction you wish to have, they''ve all been sent." Time to pull what we in the business call a Pro Gamer Move. "I''m not here to beg." "This one did not imply you wou-" "The one begging will be you." "Pardon?" For the first time since arriving here, she looks fully thrown for a loop. I answer by summoning ten of the thirty ancient-grade spirit stones on her desk. "Well then, dog. Beg and this benevolent master might honor you with his presence at your pitiful auction." My grin only widens at the look of horror on her face. "You''re a piece of work." Shan''s snide commentary does little to detract from the moment. ///___/// I was escorted to the room for the highest level of VIP there is. A cheery step in my stride as the fond memory of a cheeky auction-owning side heroine begged like a dog wanting a bone goes through my mind. Truly, it feels so good to be so bad. After the guide leaves, I''m finally left to myself. Blue and Green were given a room close to mine, definitely not fit for the average servants. Probably even better than most guests. Deciding to take a bath, I start heading to the tub, absent-mindedly noticing Teacher lounging on the sofa. "Yo." She says and I give her a wave as I continue- "Why is there an Immortal in your room!?" Shan screeches. Wait, what? Teacher!? My mind catches up and I turn to the woman lounging about like a particularly smug cat. Isn''t this too soon? We just separated! Then she pulls out a bottle and my thoughts stop. "Thirsty, oh student of mine?" She has a cheeky grin. My mouth begins to water, eyes glued to the bottle. Oh no¡­ I''ve been tamed. Chapter 6- Blue Makes a Friend Luo Xue made it to Huangjing with time to spare before the Hundred-Year Grand Jade Auction started. She hadn''t been able to attend the first time around with how heated things had gotten over the hidden realm. Seeing that she didn''t care about it this time around, she left before anyone could ask her what she was doing. She wanted to meet with another Chosen of Heaven earlier than she had before, Jin Xiaotong. Jin was one of the better powerhouses with his monstrous instinct and insane luck. He also supposedly befriended the legendary Fatty Wang during this auction. A friendship that went very far into the future. That being said, just like every other Son of Heaven she met, he had a huge flaw. Jin Xiaotong was something of a womanizer, constantly seducing new girls no matter which country he was in. Only to leave them behind when his next opportunity sprang up. Luo Xue could only pity them, and she doubts she can help them much in this timeline either. Maybe if she steers the Auction owner Cai Qingge away from him the woman will do her a favor? As for the Auction itself, thankfully she was able to procure the spot as a Sect Representative for her Azure Mist Sect. They hadn''t managed to get anything in the last timelines Auction as all their items were stolen on the way back by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This time, with her as the Representative, she''s sure she can use the artifacts she painstakingly refined to either scare said Cultivator off, or even possibly kill them. Then, as things often do for her these days¡­ Everything is wrong. What do you mean the auction was delayed? What do you mean 10 Ancient-Grade spirit stones are suddenly in the auction!? What do you mean the Emperor of Huanglong changed his mind and decided to come to the Auction after he had declared it boring!?!? Still perplexed, she almost lost it completely when being escorted to the VIP section she saw something that nearly made her fly into a rage. Why the hell is Long Jie singing and dancing with Fatty Wang while they drink Spiritual Wine!? Did he descend into her ex-fianc¨¦''s servant''s body!? Then she notices her ex-fianc¨¦''s second and newly hired servant both passed out at the table beside the two merry men¡­ Not for the first time, Luo Xue concludes that this is all Xiang Rong''s fault. ///___/// I drank a full bottle. Goodbye, Spiritual Wine, Divine Wine is my new best friend. Seriously, I feel like I''m the crack addict outside a 7-11 at 3 AM, and Teacher is the dealer pulling up in a beat-up van going, ''Sup bitch, wanna hit?''. Why do I know this so well? I''ve seen it happen a lot growing up in what some would call a crackville. I''d honestly say crackhead is my second language. Talk about a worse (in quality) drug than Divine wine aside, my body cultivation went up two ranks. Going from the 8th step of Muscle Altering to the first of Tendon Tempering. Directly jumping up to level three of body cultivation. Shanny''s mind broke again today, not for the first time. Yes, that''s right. I''m gymmaxxing through drinking wine to the point I could probably punch a Core Formation Cultivator to death. I don''t know what part about that is so hard to believe to be honest. Nah, I''m just fucking around; I know it''s bullshit but man, are Shan''s reactions funny. However, as opposed to the last time I broke through a major body stage, no black stinky sludge came out. So I asked Teacher what the heck was going on. "Are my impurities not leaving? Or is one such as I entirely pure already?" "They''re being destroyed by the divine property of the wine." I think she patted my head after that. I''m not sure, I was too busy drinking. Look, I''m getting groomed by a Divine being and that''s okay. I''d make a killer house husband. I''d be a great dad too. I''ll pump like five kids into Teacher, easy. "Ihavetogonowbye!" Teacher immediately says, then disappears before I can react. Only a glimpse of her entirely red face has me realize my test paid off. Yep, mind reader, at least at surface thoughts. Otherwise, she''d have known it was a ploy. Or she read the fact even though it was a ploy to bait her out¡­ I''d have still done it regardless. Teacher seems to lack experience in this stuff, but I''m sure she''d be a great wife. "I''ve come to a conclusion." Shan breaks me from my thoughts. "Thinking should be left to your betters." "I''ve come to a conclusion." It''s said with a bit more force this time. I just finish my last sip of wine before putting the bowl down and flopping onto the purple bed sheets like a dead fish. "You are working for the heavens, as their butcher." Shan, give me a hit of whatever your smoking, because what the fuck? "You can see the Mandate of Heaven, you aren''t affected by the chosen''s heavenly protection, and you are directly being taught by an Immortal. Everything with the recent resurgence of young heroes? You''re the butcher sent to kill those who are unworthy of the role." The more she talks the more sure of herself she sounds. I just hum noncommittally, then use some Qi to light the incense burner across the room. I just had a rather impulsive thought¡­ Shan obviously doesn''t trust me still, she''s barely told me anything of her own life save for snippets here and there. Now, however, with her delusions and her own place as a Chosen of Heaven, one I already threatened to take away, she probably wouldn''t dare try anything against me. So I do something I hadn''t tried before in fear of getting brain blasted. I use my divine sense on Shan''s ring. In the next moment, I''m no longer in China Land Kansas. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ///___/// A swirling canvas of colours greets me, shifting between twilight and dawn, with stars that twinkle like diamonds making grand patterns. I''m on my back and the ground is soft, the feeling of grass touching the skin of my hand informs me of what it is. I take a moment of ''What the fuck, where the fuck?'' Before getting up and asking those questions to myself once again. Rolling hills covered in vibrant, jade flowers, with crystalline streams flowing gently. Gigantic mountains rise in the distance, their peaks shrouded in mist. I''m in a valley of some kind, but definitely not a normal one. My eyes pan around me, settling on a crystal clear pond that I can''t see the bottom of, and the open pavilion beside it. Then my eyes meet startled purple ones and my brain shuts down. "You-you how are you here!?" A familiar voice, one I hear every day. She''s sitting on a cushioned mat, legs crossed over each other, one lost in her thick orange and brown robe. Said robe is one she''s not wearing fully, as she has worn-out bandages wrapped around her visible foot, arm, and extremely sizable chest. The last of her ensemble is the thick orange scarf wrapped around her neck. Look, I''m trying my absolute best not to think about- "Hot blonde, nice." Fuck you, Rong mou- wait, that was my mouth! My old mouth! The one with a crippling blonde fetish (That I still have). "W-what!? You! What did you just say!?" Shan points at me, wide-eyed, and aggressively asks. More surprised than angry by the looks of it. I mean I''m surprised. What do I do in this situation? I was ready to meet some old granny and I stumbled on a blonde tomboy instead! Wait, that isn''t important. I can finally speak like a normal person again! My not being normal in the first place notwithstanding. "Do you know how fucking annoying it is not being able to say fuck?" Shan just blinks at me in extreme confusion. "Let me get it out of my system real quick. FUCK! Fuck! Fuckity fuck fuck!" I scream at the Heavens. They do not answer. This just in the Heavens are kinda bitchmade. I hear thunder rumble slightly. Okay, I take that one back, apologies. "Who¡­ who are you? You can''t be Xiang Rong." "Ah, forgot about you, Shanny." "Shanny!? Have you been calling me Shanny in your head!?" "It''s a long story. How much do you know about curses?" Not like I can tell her the truth. Nor do I care to. What I''d care to do is bend her over a table because hot blon- Horny brain cease, impulsive thoughts bad. Instead of answering she just gives me a blank look. Then sighs particularly loudly. "Sit down, brat. Let''s get whatever this is over with. Let''s see if you can beat me in a game while we talk." She waves a hand and another cushioned mat appears in front of her. Dice and a bowl appear next. Let''s see who wins, my rationality or my blonde lust. ///___/// "Let me go over this again. You are indeed Xiang Rong, but you''ve been cursed from a young age." "Yep yep." "This curse manifests itself by making you appear villainous in the eyes of others, as well as limiting your speech to fit said role." "Exactly." "Not helped by the fact you''re a Demonic Cultivator." She frowns and clicks her tongue. "Nor the fact you''re inner self is a childish womanizer." "I don''t remember telling you that second part." "You didn''t have to." Shan deadpans back to me. Yeah, so it turns out the answer to whether my rationality or blonde lust would win was both. At first, Shan was flustered by the constant flirting as I explained my circumstances as vaguely and in universe terms as possible. Then she grew used to my flirting, even starting to throw some playful banter back my way. She obviously likes this version of me better, but then again, the other version of me was constantly threatening her and calling her stupid. That''s not the case at all. Long Yu Shan is a genius. Which, I mean that much is obvious right? Yet, in this case, I mean in the more my world standards sense. She''d opened up finally during our talk so now I finally know the girl behind (and in) the ring. Shan is an 8th-tier Alchemist, a field that only has 9 tiers in it, yet that''s not even her specialty. I had already known she specialized in mental arts, but now I know some of what she can do. Celestial Dreamweaver Mirage Art is as grand as one would think. A powerful mental art that allows practitioners to manipulate dreams and illusions. I mean, you''d figure from a name like that. Shan then explained that''s how she was able to take over the inside part of the ring seal. I also somehow found a weakness in one of her techniques. The technique allows the user to set up a sort of emphatic link. So to make sure I wasn''t bullshiting her (too much), I convinced her to set it up. Then I promptly teased the fuck out of her. As I said before however, she''s grown used to my flirting. Even if she''s clearly still not used to the people being this direct in general. It''s helped that I keep winning the dice game we''re playing. Tien Gow is very much a luck-based game for mortals. For Cultivators, it''d be rather easy to cheat. Seeing that I''m connected to a one-way empathy bond right now, however, cheating is unthinkable for me. So instead it''s carefully timed flirting then relying on bullshit luck powers. "Shan." "Silence. It will not work this time." "You''re beautiful, you know?" I hit her with it right as she goes to throw her dice, they instead tumble out of her hand aimlessly. Six and four, Red Head Ten in the Civil suit. Easy enough to beat. Shan proves her own words wrong as she slams her hand into the ground beside her, visibly flustered and frustrated. I should also clarify that it is indeed only the one hand. Her right arm was severed by a conceptual attack. Not even her soul can heal the damage done. Eh, not like I''m any less interested in her. "So as I was saying. We should make this a regular thing. Have some dates, get to know each other, you know?" "Throw your dice." She nearly growls. I then have a clever idea come to mind. "If I lose this throw, you''ll agree to make this a regular thing." "Why do you wish to court me so badly!? I''m stuck in a ring! I don''t even have a body. I''m not womanly, I''m horribly disfigured, and I have the manners of a cranky elder man." Shan all but growls out. I shrug in response. "Hot blonde. And I really couldn''t care less about the other stuff. Well, no, that''s a lie." "Ha! I knew it!" "I think that stuff you said makes you more attractive to me." Her look of ''Gotcha!'' Quickly morphs into a blank, listless stare as my words register as the truth in her mind art. "I''d just love a woman that can just kill me. Snap me in half like an incense stick. Honestly, I don''t see the appeal of Jade Beauties. Give me a girl that looks like she''d punch me in the face for trying to pamper her but will let me do it anyway." I then throw my dice as she''s utterly stunlocked. And for the first time tonight, I lost. "You lost," Shan says, still rather listlessly. She clearly knows what I said earlier and what this means. "Yep, so for our next date I was thinking-" "Get lost, you scoundrel!" The next moment I''m back in my bed, smelling the familiar Auction House incense. I bring a hand up and carefully remove my necklace, holding Shan''s ring in my hand. I still feel the empathy bond. "You don''t have the right to refuse." You do. "This one''s mercy is the only reason you still live." I''ve never thought of hurting you. "Now be good and heed my demands." It''s nice talking to you, please? "You''re such a tyrant. Fine, bully me as you always do, brat. We can do ''that'' again in a few days." She scoffs. Unlike before, there''s no heat to it. Then, through the bond, I feel something for the first time from Shan''s end. She thinks I''m crazy. Oh how right she is. ///___/// Xiang Rong¡­ That name again. Feilong sighs, sinking back into his deep-seated chair after reading the report. The name has become quite well known as of late, the Young Master of the Xiang branch family was making waves. Mostly negative ones. A trait he seems to share with another Xiang. To think she would hide the boy from him¡­ He needs a drink. "Fetch me a bottle of wine." "At once, your majesty." His loyal attendant says with a bow. Then immediately leaves. Yet Feilong is not truly alone, he never can afford to be. Thoughts of the people around him go back to his long war with the country Xueyu. A war that had ended abruptly, and very unexpectedly around twenty years ago. That woman showing up on the battlefield meant the war was over. There''s no possible way to fight a person, that''d be asking for a dog''s death. What Feilong didn''t account for was her taking an interest in himself. They weren''t that close as lovers, it''s impossible to be that close if her presence still causes him some distress to this day. The blood of dragons feared the one who could control blood after all. Yet, a memory of that time comes to him bidden by recent events. "Fei, what would you name a new son?" "I am long done having children. Especially after one of those children dragged me into this war in the first place." He had chuckled. The woman chuckled with him. "Humor me." "Very well. I''d name him Rong. I would hope he''d be the one that brings my family glory, makes us prosper, and carries my blood with the honor it deserves." He had answered, truthful as could be. "....Rong. I like it." He finishes his reminiscing as his attendant returns with the bottle, swiftly pouring a drink into his jade glass. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. And as the Dragon Emperor of Huanglong, Feilong Is no Fool. Chapter 7- Love You Long Time Long Time ///___/// "You¡­ I don''t even have words for the disrespect this is." Shan remarks on my current actions. "Lord Xiang¡­ This humble one does not dare-" "Use the right title or don''t speak at all." I interrupt the Auction owner. Her brow twitches violently for a moment, then she lowers her head before speaking again. "This dog does not dare to question you. However, this action will greatly anger the Golden Lotus Sect." Yes. Yes, it will. What am I doing? Why of course, I''m selling Cheng Hong''s cultivation manual in the auction. The movement and combat technique manuals could be useful eventually, so I decided to keep them. "This Lord cares not for the opinion of ants so easily crushed by my boot. Do as I said. They can buy the manual back in the auction if they''re so desperate for it." That''s the second reason right there. Taking out the competition. Seeing as this is the core cultivation technique of their Sect, they can''t afford to not buy it. And since the other Sects are also here, well, they obviously won''t make it easy for the Golden Lotus Sect. "I''m starting to think your curse just makes you act truer to your character." Shan snarks. Acting truer to my character would be focusing all my effort on bending you over in the ring realm. Can souls get pregnant? I doubt it but this is cultivation land. "With the amount of lust you just directed at me I see that was wrong. Lecherous brat." Shanny mumbles. Good, she''s learning. It''s her fault for being a hot blonde. Then again, the two women I''ve wanted to fuck so far could both probably easily kill me. (If she were able to leave the seal in Shan''s case). Ah bad brain, don''t think of a Shanny/Teacher sandwich right now. I''m trying to be serious here. "Well, dog? Why haven''t you barked in confirmation yet?" Sorry lady, it''s just too easy to bully you. "Apologies, this one-" "I said, bark." Okay, I might be taking it a bit too far. Yet, looking like she''s sucking on a lemon, she lifts her eyes to meet mine. "Woof." "You''re a despicable man." Aww that''s so sweet, love you too Shanny. "Stop sending me affection when I insult you!" ///___/// The auction was delayed a few days. My unexpected addition to their items in the Ancient stones caused a big uproar yesterday. I hadn''t added the manual at the same time as I didn''t want the Golden Lotus Sect to prepare to buy it in time. I even got the dog- that was close, thinking like Rong a bit too much lately. I got the auction owner to hide it in the item list. The second cause for the delay is the Emperor of Huanglong is showing up after he originally said ''lol, nah''. So the auction is rushing to accommodate him properly. Whoopsies. Eh, it''ll probably be fine. It''d look unbecoming for an Emperor to take items from a solo bidder. Then again, I''m fine losing a few items, I''ll still ultimately win. Why would he know I''m a private bidder in an auction where you can hide your identity? That''s the fun part, you can''t now. I had the auction lady take away the privacy screening. I want the Golden Lotus Sect to know everyone is fucking with them so I don''t just get all their ire when they inevitably find out I killed Cheng Hong and took his shit. I want the Child of Heaven I reeled in to know I''m the one that took most of his shit by outbidding him. The whole trap falls apart if the privacy screens are up. Plot thoroughly underway, I''m on my way back to the VIP area when Blue comes up to me with- That''s a Fatty, Blue found himself a proper Fatty companion. My gaze glances up at their halos. The Fatty''s is Red. What kind of Fatty has a red fucking halo? That''s literally the Child of Heaven tier. Ah, the Heaven''s dog showing up at the auction must be gold or higher then. That means I''ve trapped a big fish. As for Blue''s halo¡­ it''s still blue. Not entirely blue, however, as I see a few wisps of orange in it. The first time I''ve seen that phenomenon on anyone other than myself. Yet, even then it''s still different. My black halo is still as black as before, acting as the night sky to stars of red and gold. Blues halo, the orange is seeping in, slowly encroaching on the territory of blue. It''s a difference between me being an anomaly and Blue''s luck changing in real time. Essentially, it''s like that one lady who lost her luck but the reverse, and slower. "Master! I am honored to introduce you to my friend!" Blue chatters excitedly when I let my mind run at normal human speeds. "This Fatty¡­ he has the blood of Giants. It''s rather prominent, too." Shan comments when my gaze turns to said man. She has more ability to sense out of the ring if someone''s wearing it properly on their finger. As she essentially taps into their senses. Also, what the fuck did you just say, Shan? "This humble man is honored to be friends with your servant. My name is Wang Fatty, but most reverse it and call me Fatty Wang." He smiles over his quintuple chin and clasps his hands in greeting. The man''s gigantic. Makes sense with the blood of giants. He''s standing over two feet taller than me and I''m pretty sure this body is around the same height as my last, if not half an inch taller (Finally, six feet feels so liberating). Also why the fuck is his real name Fatty, isn''t that supposed to be a title!? Was he born fat? "Ah, Fatty, Master Xiang doesn''t do greetings," Blue says some ridiculous shit. I was just stunned by this dude''s size and halo okay!? "You''re much too arrogant for that, yes." Shan hums in agreement. Et tu, Shanny? "Ah my apologies, Young Master Xiang," Fatty says, wiping some sweat off his brow. "I''m very pleased to meet the man my friend looks up to. My merchant company is at your service if you have a need for us before the auction." This¡­ could be an opportunity. "Tell me, Fatty, what do you think of bid-rigging?" I ask with a hum. See I found a loophole for the Rong speech for this man. His name is already an insult if I say it with a certain cadence. He frowns, brow so heavy I think it might cover his eyes entirely if he isn''t careful. "This one wouldn''t engage in such an uncouth act. I strive to keep my image as an honorable merchant." He says, greed shining in his eyes despite his words. In response, I take out a single Ancient Spirit stone. His eyes widen. "A shame, it seems I''ll have to put this stone in the auction as well." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "I believe honor is something unbecoming for a merchant, such a cutthroat business. Truly this one has seen the error of his ways. I thank you for the guidance, Lord Xiang." He bows again, completely sold in my scheme. Knowing how the great sects of Huanglong and the Emperor are here, it''s a fat chance in hell this Fatty could win one of the stones. Now he knows I''m the one that put them up. And by working with me he gets one automatically. A grin comes to my face. It''s the grin of a man about to make a lot of money. ///_???_/// He''s here, she found him. Her beloved. He remains utterly oblivious to the danger he is in. Even if they couldn''t harm a hair on his head in their plotting. They wouldn''t have gotten the chance to try. She will protect him this time. This time¡­ the strange feeling of her heart being wrenched out. She doesn''t know the details. She only knows she failed to protect her beloved, in another life, another time. The feelings engraved in her soul never let her truly forget. Either someone had turned back the clock, or she and her beloved were reborn in another world. She doesn''t know how it happened. She doesn''t care how it happened. She won''t have her beloved, her heart, so brutally torn from her again by conniving snakes plotting. No, this time she will be the one tearing out hearts. "Pl-please.. we weren''t going to kill him." The snake begs for its life, and her gaze hardens. "Shhh. Don''t talk. Talking won''t save you." "It was the Wei clan! I only accepted the job!" She warned him. Now she has to make it unpleasant. She gently lays her gloved hand (Only her beloved can touch her) on the snake''s bound legs. She had bound them together to have him better play his role as a serpent. "They will meet you again in time." She tells the snake. Then with a smile she promptly uses her Flesh Crafting Technique to fuse his legs together in the most agonizing way possible. The snake screams like a man possessed, at one point attempting to bite his tongue off. Having none of that she took away all his teeth save for the four incisors. Ah, how he screams. A blissful feeling travels through her at the screams of her beloved''s enemy. Something only second to being in her beloved''s arms, wrapping him with her own so as to never let him go. She could never do so. She would never hold her beloved back. She will be content with being his shadow, a much better one than the puny Nascent Soul following him around. Until her beloved takes her by his side, she will protect him from the dark. Amidst the screams of the snake, Mo Sha looks to the sky and imagines a future of bliss with the one she loves, any time or place. ///___/// I''m using the Auction House''s garden to drink the bottle of Divine Wine in the Moonlight. My whole day was spent making a plan with Fatty Wang. After that, I just had a long bath and some light reading (The Shade Serpent Inheritance). As for why I''m drinking the bottle when I said I''d save it. It''s because I had two, and, well, it seems Teacher is going to pop in rather often. The woman just appeared in my room mid-bath. She took one look at me, blushed something fierce, and then disappeared immediately after. When I got out of my bath I discovered another bottle at the door, presumably an apology for seeing me naked or interrupting my bath. Teacher truly is adorable. "You have company, brat." Thank you, Shanny, love youuuu. "Stop doing that!" Rather abruptly the empathy bond gets cut and I almost chuckle. Whoever blessed this world with tomboys that are weak to compliments and affection, you have my highest regard. Then my gaze pans to the visitor and I honestly think I''m seeing things for a moment. "Xiang Rong." Greets Luo Xue, my former fianc¨¦ states my name in both greeting and seemingly reluctance. And in the place of her orange halo is a golden one. "You¡­ you changed your fate." My mouth speaks before I can even really think about what I just said. Seriously? What in the fuck is this bullshit? Confirmation for my words comes as her expression morphs into one of shock and surprise. You would figure someone at- She''s at the peak of Qi Gathering now. Huh, neat. "You¡­ how much do you know?" She asks after my quick perusal of her using my divine sense. "Or should I call you Hong Yue?" Who the fuck is Hong Yue? Aight, fuck this she''s either friend or foe. As it is, I''ve no incentive to kill her outright as she''s from a big Clan and Sect. She''s also done nothing to me save break off our engagement, which I had no issue with seeing I got a big payday from it. She also doesn''t have a physique to make it worth it in the first place. If she''s a friend, she can be useful, if she''s a foe, well, I mean, she has a golden halo now. Easy pickings. "This Lord would hope your memory isn''t faulty enough to not remember you''re formerly betrothed." I snark at her and she bristles some. "I wish to stand on my own." "Being in a Sect is standing alone?" "It''s only temporary!" She snaps. Ah, so easy. Yeah, she''s fun to bully. I''ll put her as a ''Friend'' for now. "Forget it. This humble Lord knows not how you changed your fate as a damsel to be saved. It also matters not as you are still beholden to Heaven as one of its dogs." She freezes at that, confusion clear in her eyes. Good, that means I''m doing this right. "You are but a frog in a well, Luo Xue, only seeing what''s in front of you when there is an entire world outside your hole in the ground." I stand up, and then I finish my jade wine glass, quickly putting it and the Divine Wine bottle away after. "You¡­ what are you¡­" "Take this paltry gift as a lesson. Until you experience the truth, you will never escape Heaven''s leash." I scoff at her for added effect, immediately after I take out the Foundation Building pills and throw the bottle at her. Luo Xue catches it, a look of shock coming to her face. I turn to leave, my cloak dramatically swaying in the moonlight (hell yeah, nailed it). "Xiang Rong, wait!" "I will see you in the auction. Do not disappoint me." I say, not turning to face her. She doesn''t call after me again, taking my words to heart. My dramatic moment was a resounding success. "You¡­ you just like bullying women, don''t you?" Shan asks. Luckily for me, I catch myself as I almost trip. I will not have my cool exit ruined. Interlude 2- Before the Auction ///_Bloody Map_/// The night before the auction Wei Zhen is the Imperial Cartographer as well as a Minister in the Imperial court. Even before the Emperor decided to attend the auction, he had planned on going. Now he can just join the Emperor''s entourage. He gladly hums to himself as he goes over a new addition to his collection, a cup of Longjing tea by his side. Wei Zhen himself is a regular at these auctions, as he is always looking for ancient maps and other such treasures. He didn''t earn his position through nepotism alone like many others in the Imperial court. The backing of the Wei Clan surely did help, but his utmost dedication to learning the art of mapping secured him the position. Unlike the other Minister going to the auction, Wu Qing. Wei Zhen scoffs at the thought of that man. Wu Qing attaining the post of Head Minister severely degraded the prestige and honor attached to it. The Head Minister should be impartial to the sects, yet that man clearly doesn''t care about that. He heavily favours the Golden Lotus Sect to a frankly absurd degree. Wei Zhen isn''t sure how the man still has his job in the Imperial court at all. The man is so clearly a plant from the Golden Lotus Sect; Wei Zhen was blinded every time the light reflected off the gold pin the man wore everywhere. Maybe the rumours are true? Some say Minister Wu Qing is one of the lovers of the Imperial Princess, a woman who has never married but has also clearly made her dalliances known. Still, it would explain why Wu Qing has his position. Shaking his head, Wei Zhen puts his current map aside and picks up his cup of tea. Taking a quick sip he sighs and leans back in his chair. Nepotism is always the answer, it would seem. "Found you~~ Wei Clan bug~~" The voice of a woman trills, the candles in his room flicker out and he''s plunged into utter darkness. In shock he drops his cup, the shatter of glass on the stone floor making him wince. Someone broke into the Imperial Palace. "Who''s there!? Show yourself!" He shouts, hoping to alert the guards stationed in the hall. "Little bug, I''ll make this quick, my beloved is waiting for me~~" The glistening imperial furnishings, his treasured maps, the splotchy lights cast by the lamps, his seal of authority sitting on the yew table; everything he could perceive was washed away in clouds of inky darkness. Help¡­ ///_Royal Authority_/// A day before the auction "What do you know of the death of Minister Wei?" She asks. To any outside observer, she would look insane. Speaking to an empty room. Not that any would call Liulan mad if they wish to keep their heads. As the Empress of Huanglong, she has never been known to be merciful. Being merciful is something that''d have gotten her killed by one of her husband''s concubines. "The current Demon Saintess is the culprit." The shadow on Empress Liulan''s wall answers, morphing into a dark figure. This shadowy being stands at an indistinct height, constantly shifting as though caught in a breeze, its form never fully stable. The body is formless, like the darkest ink spilling across the air, yet there is an eerie coherence to its shape¡ªa person, but one that seems to melt and reshape itself with every glance. Empress Liulan feels a chill run through her at the sight of her ancestor. "She acts alone, the Demon Realm hasn''t made any incursions to our land." "What is her reason for this disrespect?" Empress Liulan asks, already deciding she wouldn''t be the one to incite another war with the Demon Realm. Huanglong is still recovering from the war with Xueyu. The highest realm of Cultivators is Nascent Soul with her husband being the only one past that. She is only at the peak of Core Formation. Forget about a war, they''ll be lucky to protect themselves from the other countries going forward. "This Lord is unaware. I have a few trails to follow, ones I will be looking into personally." The shadow rasps, Liulan finds herself surprised. Knowing exactly who her Honoured Ancestor is, looking into something personally is something far below them. "This auction¡­ Keep your spies out of it. I will bring you back one of those stones." "Thank you, Honoured Ancestor." Empress Liulan clasps her hands and bows. A moment later, the shadow nods its head, then it disappears as if it were a wisp of smoke from a burning incense stick. Empress Liulan relaxes back in her seat. Yet she can never be truly relaxed. The Ancestor that was just here is a being that can single-handedly destroy Huanglong, one that chooses to instead play in the shadows of most civilizations on the continent. Her deal with them is both a sense of comfort and worry. Only something she can continue with by knowing they are family. As for why she can never truly relax¡­ For all Empress Liulan knows, the Master of the Shadow Moon Pavillion never left. Unknown to Liulan, her shadow smiles for just an instant. ///_Many Chins_/// Wang Fatty has met a great many people in his life as a merchant. It''s not been a very long life, and his merchant company has had more downs than ups, but he knows when a person is worth making friends with. "Fetch me a hairpin, dog." Fatty Wang realized quickly, Xiang Rong is a man worth making friends with. The owner of the auction house, a woman named Wen Jia, had once looked down on Fatty Wang before he had hit it big in finding an abundant Spiritual Iron vein. Now he watches as she rushes to fulfil his new friend''s whims like a beaten animal. Fatty isn''t sure what to feel about this, but he kind of likes this feeling of superiority. He watches Wen Jia leave as he licks the grease of an expensive Spiritual Boar''s meat off his fingers. Xiang Rong sitting across from him, closes his eyes and toys with the rather dull-looking ring on his finger. Then his blood-red eyes snap open and Fatty feels himself unintentionally shiver. If only his friend was less terrifying. "The dog''s taking too long." With a wave of his hand, Xiang Rong takes out an orange feather and then uses it as a hairpin. That''s a phoenix feather. Fatty Wang uses all his will to brush past the fear and astonishment, patting his forehead with a cloth he puts down the leg bone and smiles at Xiang Rong. "Lord Xiang is a man of immense wealth indeed, this one had already known. I can only imagine what reactions people will have when they see you like that after coming to this auction for a smaller Phoenix feather." Xiang Rong scoffs, it''s only the assurances from Long Jie going through Fatty''s mind that Xiang Rong is a good person that stops Fatty''s wince. "It''s useless. Only good for meagre decoration. Don''t be blinded by paltry items when we have a larger target in front of us." Fatty nods at that. After that, Xiang Rong goes quiet, shutting his eyes again and leaning back in his seat. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Wen Jia arrives with a gold and jade inlaid hairpin during that time, she takes one look at Xiang Rong and her face blanks more than Fatty Wang had seen it before. Maybe Fatty should try this bullying-woman thing? It might work to bat Courtesan Hua away from him the next time she tries getting her hands on his rotund form. "Don''t disturb him, dog. Come bring me that pin so I may put it to use." Fatty does his best Xiang Rong impression. Wen Jia gives him a rather undecipherable look. Fatty hopes she feels humiliated like he had been a few years in the past. Unknown to Fatty Wen Jia had discovered she might like being bullied, and unlike the terrifying Xiang Rong, Fatty Wang is a known man of good character¡­ But that''s a story for another time. Fatty Wang''s attention once again goes to Xiang Rong when the later eyes snap open. Fatty had just been using the fancy hairpin as a skewer as Wen Jia watched him from the side. "Dog, among the guests coming to the night auction, is one a young man with a higher than normal cultivation?" Wen Jia was startled at being asked to speak for once, the whole day Xiang Rong only had her bark. Fatty had gained a great amount of amusement from it. "This one has not sent an invitation to anyone of that description outside of the Sects. The only person that matches it would be the envoy of the Crimson Guardian Sect, Jiang Feng." Fatty actually knows that man, so he decides to add some additional information. "Jiang Feng is an acquaintance of mine. He''s a rather cold and stoic young man. He only gets heated over a good weapon or fight." Xiang Rong hums at that, seemingly deep in thought. Fatty himself realises that if Jiang Feng angered Xiang Rong, Fatty will gladly throw him under the young lord''s sword. "What of guests coming with people?" "This¡­ It''s impossible to know until the auction starts." Wen Jia answers and Fatty scoffs. "You act like we both don''t have a connection to the Rumor Platform. They will also be attending the auction with their face Xing Bo." "This one dares not tell rumours to Young Ma- "Silence, dog. Speak, Fatty." Xiang Rong shuts her up with a wave of his hand, Fatty hears her jaw snap shut hard enough that she''d have cut her tongue if she wasn''t careful. "There is another that fits that description according to the Rumour Platform. He made himself well known in the downtown Jade gambling scene. The young man''s name is Jin Xiaotong I believe, and he''s coming as a guest of the Merchant Guild leader Xu Hao." Fatty scoffs, Xu Hao has tried bullying him into said guild multiple times. Fatty would never sell his independence to a mongrel like that. "Jade gambling you say¡­" "He will be a big contender in the day auctions Jade gambling competition." Fatty Wang nods. "I see. Keep me informed on this Jin Xiaotong." "Of course, Lord Xiang." "Yes-" "Why aren''t you barking, dog!?" Fatty turns to Wen Jia and points with the grease-covered hairpin, she looks at him wide-eyed for a moment. Seeing that Xiang Rong said nothing to criticise Fatty''s action, he feels justified in this being the true way of treating people. "Woof." Yes, Fatty Wang could get used to this. ///_Sweltering Forge_/// The furnace crackles, its flames licking at the air, the rhythmic hammering of the forge hammer ringing out like a steady heartbeat. The blade being shaped is more than metal¡ªit is a legacy, tempered with blood, sweat, and countless years of learning. "Please, Master Zhuang, I don''t want the usual difficulties in such a high-profile event." The annoying gnat makes its presence known. Zhuang, the blacksmith, ignores him. The glowing red Spiritual Iron hums with latent power, eager to become something greater. Something he''s taken upon himself to help it in. The spirit of the blade has already begun to whisper to him, a voice carried on the edge of his mind, shaping its form as much as his own hands do. The strike of his hammer is deep, and controlled, pushing the molten metal into a long, sinuous curve. The blade guides his hand. The voice of its own gets stronger with each strike of the hammer. Zhuang had once forced the Spiritual Iron into the shapes he desired, now he knows that was nought but a childish folly. He pauses, letting the iron cool slightly, just enough to let him see the pattern of the blade starting to form. Each line, each curve, is a reflection of his craft. His swords are alive, breathing, becoming what they were always meant to be. "Please, Master Zhuang, too many big names will be at this auction. I can''t have you doing your usual eccentricities." The gnat, Xu Hao, begs him. The leader of the Merchant Guild has been bugging him for days now, especially so after the Emperor announced he would be coming to the auction. Zhuang ignores him again, his hammer strikes the blade, each blow purposeful, and measured. The vibration travels up his arm, he makes sure to keep the rhythm of his swings smooth. He sees Xu Hao step back from the heat of the forge. A heat that doesn''t burn Zhuang anymore. It can''t. Then he reaches it, the whispers of the sword now turning into a hum with a resonance. Spiritual power sinking into the blade. He feels gratefulness from the blade, in letting it become true to Itself. The blade takes its final shape, long and sharp, gleaming with a faint ethereal glow. He turns the blade in the light, inspecting its edge, and its balance. This weapon is not for the unworthy. It will choose its master, just as all his blades do. As a creation of his fire, his blood, his Intent. "Will that one be a late addition to the auction?" Xu Hao asks. "It''s not as good as the other two, only being a Mid-Grade Earth treasure. But I''m sure it will fetch a good price in the day auction." It''s time he addressed the issue in his forge, he''ll have to scold whatever apprentice let the man in. "There will be no swords sold at the Auction. I told you they are there for display." "Well, I already told them to sell them in the night auction." He dares!? Zhuang feels a rage he rarely experiences these days take over, Xu Hao immediately bows low and then raises his hands in deference. "It''s a good thing! They will be bought by worthy people. Only big names are attending." "Blood and status are nothing to my creations. You''ve stepped out of line, Junior." Zhuang decides he''s given his deceased sworn brother enough face by helping his son''s business. This is going beyond his tolerance. "What if it''s the Emperor who buys one of them?" Xu Hao asks in return. Zhuang already knows his answer, it''s the same as it always is. "Only if he''s worthy will he keep that blade." ///___/// Chapter 8- Stop Tripping Yourself, Mr Protagonist! ¡°You''re thinking too much, just move your piece.¡± I do nothing. Five minutes pass. ¡°Seriously? Xiang Rong don''t think I don''t see what you''re doing.¡± I don''t rise to the bait. Instead, I just keep looking at the board in seemingly deep contemplation. ¡°Move your piece or I won''t bring you a bottle next time!¡± I look up from the board slowly, a look of pure betrayal in my eyes. Teacher squirms in place uncomfortably, knowing she has gone too far. ¡°Gah, enough of this! Take the bottle and begone from my sight.¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher!¡± My grin is blinding. Teacher scoffs. ¡°Two-faced scoundrel, cheating student, bad student, drunkard student.¡± I ignore her grumbling in favour of pouring myself a glass of Divine Wine. Teacher''s actually started showing me how to brew wine of my own, but as I am, the best I can do is a Mid-Grade Spiritual Wine. Divine Wine is so far above me at the moment I couldn''t even begin the brewing process. As for what we were just doing? Playing Go. Well, in my case stalling Go since I know I can''t win against an Immortal. This is a strat my stepfather showed me growing up, if you can''t win, make your opponent quit. Then there''s a knock on the door. I glance at it, then looking back at Teacher I notice she pulled another Batman disappearance on me. I''d be more worried if I wasn''t sure I''d see her again tonight or tomorrow. Geez, she really just killed the mysterious mentor vibe before it could walk. Ah, whatever, it means more wine for me along with the eye candy that is my easily flustered Teacher. ¡°My opinion of Immortals could not sink lower.¡± Yikes Shanny, that one was a bit harsh. ¡°Enter,¡± I order to whomever knocked. Then I''m greeted by the sight of a man who takes up the entire door frame and has to duck to get in. ¡°Lord Xiang, you had said you wished to go to the Jade Gambling Competition?¡± Fatty asks with a friendly grin. Finally, my time has come. On my way to steal opportunities again. ¡°Very well. Inform Blue that he will be coming with us.¡± ¡°Of course, Lord Xiang.¡± Fatty bows slightly and then leaves, almost hitting the door frame on his way out. ¡°I''m not sure about this plan of yours,¡± Shan states wearily. ¡°Don''t doubt your betters.¡± It will work, trust. ¡°Who am I to judge the plans of Heaven''s Butcher?¡± Shanny¡­ why are you like this? ///___/// Need it be said, being able to see Halos of Providence is some peak bullshit. Unless its some poor other Heaven''s chosen who showed up to the packed outside courtyard that''s being used for the Jade Gambling competition. I don''t think the tropes would allow two protagonists to be in one bowl at the same time, so fortunately, or in my case, unfortunately, I''m only able to plot around the one Golden Halo for the time being. ¡°Lord Xiang, that''s-¡± ¡°I am aware, Fatty. The Merchant Guild Leader is the one clinging to him like a limpet?¡± ¡°Xu Hao, you are correct Lord Xiang.¡± Fatty nods, and chins jiggle. ¡°Then what of that woman heading towards us?¡± I inquire, as a rather fancy-dressed woman in a light green dress with a veil stomps our way. Fatty turns to look at her and seems to pale some. ¡°That would be Courtesan Hua, she''s the most influential Courtesan in Huanglong.¡± He quickly explains. ¡°She''s something of a stalker of mine, I hope you forgive me for having to flee.¡± He continues urgently. I just wave him off and he gives me a smile before rocketing off far faster than his size would seemingly allow. ¡°Stalkers¡­ Always so unpleasant.¡± I agree, Shanny, I agree. ¡°Fatty Wang don''t you dare run from me again!¡± Courtesan Hua, oblivious to Shan''s and my thoughts of her, screeches as she starts bolting after him. Meh, not my problem. I turn to Blue instead, who seems to be praying for his sworn brother, Fatty. ¡°Blue, you will pick some Jade for us.¡± ¡°Master?¡± His eyes widen in shock. ¡°Anything Jin Xiaotong starts heading towards, buy it under my name.¡± I wave off his surprise. Not telling him the second part of my plan. ¡°Just do what I say and stop asking questions.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± He answers dutifully, not having asked any questions in the first place. The stage is set, now all I need to do is trip the lead actor. Repeatedly. ///_Lamb_/// Jin Xiaotong is frustrated. For the first time in his life, his instincts are failing him. He can only look in anger and grievance as the unassuming man in a blue robe puts the marker of ¡®Xiang Rong¡¯ on the stone he had once again been heading towards. Grinding his teeth, he gets up from the ground and brushes the dirt off his knees. ¡°Jin! Why do you keep falling!? All the stones will be sold at this rate!¡± The rat-faced Xu Hao grabs him by the arm and exclaims. Jin was half a mind to kill the man for treating him like this, yet he knows Xu Hao is his only way into the Night Auction. ¡°Someone keeps tripping me!¡± For a moment, Jin had almost let his pride get in the way. As a Cultivator in the middle of Core Formation being bested in such an underhanded manner is laughable. Yet, it''s working. The only possible clue is the servant of a man named Xiang Rong. However, it couldn''t be the servant tripping him as they''re only in the middle stages of Qi Gathering. ¡°Who is this Xiang Rong?¡± He asks his companion instead. Xu Hao scoffs. ¡°Just an arrogant brat with too much money for his own good.¡± Jin chooses not to point out the hypocrisy in that statement. ¡°He must have heard of your incredible luck from the Rumour Platform as well. No doubt that''s why his servant keeps stealing the stones you have your eye on.¡± ¡°Is Xiang Rong strong?¡± Jin asks before Xu Hao can go on another annoying tangent. At Jin''s question, Xu Hao shakes his head. ¡°He''s notorious as a drunken wastrel. Even if he''s in the Foundation Establishment realm he probably couldn''t fight a paper crane.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Jin mutters darkly. The injustice he''s faced will not go unpunished. Then he''s immediately tripped once again by an unseen force. Grinding his teeth, he once again brushes the dirt off his knees as he watches the blue-robed servant claim the stone he had his eye on again. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He can already taste the riches he''ll recover from the corpses of this master and servant pair. ///___/// ¡°If I hadn''t known your true personality I''d have thought you only capable of cruelty.¡± Shanny, pls. She doesn''t respond to my pleading for mercy. So I just go back to concentrating on my constant spell use. Making someone trip over and over again takes some effort after all. So while Blue focuses on buying everything Jin looks at, I''m focusing on casting the Shadow Binding spell I got from the Shade Serpent inheritance. Originally, this spell is one that attempts to fully bind the target, allowing the user to alpha strike them. I''m not at that level yet, but I sure as fuck can make Jin Xiaotong trip on his own shadow. No matter how much he looks, he won''t find jack shit as this is a technique only someone at the Nascent Soul realm could see through. Truly I am blessed by fate, being able to steal nice shit from these protagonist pi?atas. Oh? What''s this? He dares to look at this humble Lord. Aight, I might be getting too into character right now. Regardless, facing the scathing glare sent my way I just give the golden-haloed man a cheeky smirk. For a moment it looks as though a vein is going to burst on his forehead. Here let me help with that. I trip him again. I turn around, immediately walking towards a stand I think I saw wine being sold at earlier. Ignoring the scream of frustration behind me. After all, it''s not like I need to actually see Jin to keep an eye on him. Unknown to the protagonist template, he remains under the gaze of my Divine Sense even as I look at some decent-looking mortal wine. ¡°This wine¡­ Is garbage.¡± ¡°I''m so sorry, Lord Xiang.¡± ///___/// A short while later, every stone was bought and it was time to start cutting them for jade. Needless to say, things went exactly as I expected them to. ¡°How!? Prismatic Tiger Jade this time!?¡± ¡°This is outrageous! I checked those stones and they were all duds!¡± ¡°Xiang Rong is unbeatable! Call this contest off and refund my money!¡± Yep, just as expected. I spent thirty thousand mid-grade spiritual stones on stealing every rock from Mister Gold Halo, so I''d have maybe cried if that plan fell flat. The smart thing to do would have been just making me buy useless rocks after the first few times I did it. Instead, Jin Xiaotong got so angry he couldn''t think straight and just kept picking out more stones for me to steal. It was a risk that paid off, this time at the least. I can''t expect every protagonist template to have the anger modifier, I''m just lucky I noticed it early or I would have quit at ten thousand stones spent. As for where said golden goose has gone, well, I don''t really know. He kind of just stormed off with the frantic-looking rat-faced man Fatty told me is the Merchant Guild Leader. They didn''t get any stones. Why would they stay? I do hope this doesn''t stop them from going to the auction later this evening¡­ No, that worry is unfounded, if there''s an auction, there''s a protagonist. My plan commences undisturbed. ¡°With no one even matching a fraction of the value of Lord Xiang''s jade, we announce him as the winner of the Jade Gambling Competition!¡± The shout breaks through my internal monologue. They must have kept cutting while I was distracted by my thoughts, admittedly, I kind of phased out a little at the 7th declaration of a super rare jade type. Why does one need this many types of jade? The only purpose I see for them is making fancy glasses or bottles like the ones Teacher keeps giving me. At the announcement of my win, all the people who joined the contest started clamouring angrily. A glance to my side shows Blue looking around nervously and that just won''t do. ¡°Why do I feel you''re going to make a scene again?¡± Shanny! You know me so well! So anyways, I slotted in the Heart Destroying Physique and blasted that shit full send. Instantly, everyone shut their mouths, some weaker-willed individuals even dropped to their knees. I saw Blue stumble for a moment as well, but like a proper protagonist template, he corrected himself a moment after. Good, my hype guy is showing a better performance than this sea of grey- what the fuck is that? My eyes lock on the only person who looks utterly unbothered, more specifically, above her. At the Red Halo above her head. Gaze panning down, I take in her appearance and squint. She''s rather pretty, with black hair and red eyes, something I''ve only seen in a mirror. She also has higher cheekbones than what I''m used to seeing around here. She''s dressed in a bright red robe and has golden adornments in her hair, those being a crown and red jewelled hairpin. She sees me looking at her, and she just smiles with a bright expression on her face. I immediately switch my physique off. The entire exchange only actually took a moment but it informed me of another possible threat in my immediate vicinity so I''d consider it a net positive. ¡°That woman¡­ she''s dangerous.¡± For now, ignorance is the better part of valour. Or something like that. I just go back to levelling an impassive look at the event host as he dabs at some sweat on his brow with a cloth. ¡°W-well then, the prize for first place is a free consultation with Master Smith Zhuang! As well as the chance to sell the Jade you''ve acquired at a significantly higher than market price!¡± He continues with gusto. ¡°I''ll buy the lot for fifty thousand high-grade Spiritual Stones.¡± The woman I chose to avoid states clearly over the murmuring crowd as she approaches. That¡­ lady, are you a protagonist or a fellow villain? Because I honestly can''t tell. Whatever, for now, it''s time for the businessman in me to come out (I don''t have one, but if I did he would have a fancy pinstripe suit) ¡°Sixty for the stones, seventy and this Lord will bestow you with the consultation.¡± My words have an immediate effect, as many of the Cultivators here start coughing blood¡­ Guys, what the fuck? ¡°Casually disregarding a consultation from Master Smith Zhuang¡­¡± ¡°How overbearing¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± Strange lady says with a wide grin, throwing me a spatial ring. Quickly catching it, I scan it with my divine sense and count eighty thousand high-grade Spiritual Stones. Ten thousand extra¡­ Fuck it, I''m just taking it. ¡°You are not going to check?¡± She asks, and seeing her grin I realize I only fucked up a little bit. Foundation Establishment Cultivators shouldn''t have Divine Sense. I, however, have had it since Qi Gathering and have just grown so used to using it that it''s second nature. So how do I get out of this blunder? Naturally, I make shit up. ¡°Does a Dragon care about dog meat?¡± I ask her with a mocking grin. ¡°Only an ant would count pebbles on the side of a road. Even my servant is above this rabble.¡± I scoff, noticing Blue puff up with pride¡­ Blue that wasn''t a compliment, please stop getting used to me it''s weirding me out. ¡°You dare!?¡± ¡°Xiang Rong, you''ve made an enemy today!¡± ¡°Hmph, good! This ant will happily stomp you down in the auction!¡± The last of those lines is said by a fancy government-robed man with a shiny badge pinned to his chest. Shortly after saying such he stormed off. Meh, a later problem. The woman in front of me, however, just giggles. ¡°This one''s name is Li Yiran, a disciple of the Moon Shadow Pavillion in Yinhe.¡± ¡°Moon Shadow Pavillion!?¡± ¡°I''m getting out of here!¡± ¡°We had eyes but couldn''t see the Demonic Beast right in front of us!¡± What¡­? The peanut gallery I''ve grown so used to having¡­ It thinned at a rapid rate until the only people left were me, Blue, the uncomfortable-looking contest host, and the absolutely a fellow villain lady. Where does one learn this power? Not from a Jedi ¡°I do hope you''ll remember me~~¡± She steps closer, bringing a hand up near my face, not actually touching me before flicking to the side and turning her back to me. ¡°I''ll see you at the auction, maybe you can come visit me in Yinhe one day?¡± ¡°This Lord will consider it.¡± Something something, attracted to obviously dangerous women something something. ¡°Good~~¡± With that, she''s gone. So now I''m left to ponder on what the fuck all that was about. ¡°The Moon Shadow Pavillion¡­ Cheng Hong told me about them, they Cultivate as Assassins and raise Demonic Beasts as pets. He suspected the Shade Serpent was one of their members. Regardless, I doubt she is past Core Formation, just that her techniques are unorthodox and far trickier to deal with than a regular Cultivator.¡± Shanny says, going into nerd mode. Forget the Assassin stuff, I''m more so wondering if she''s related to me or something. The red eyes and high cheekbones were supposed to be my thing! What is she, a distant cousin? Or a non-distant one? ¡°Lord Xiang! There you are!¡± A familiar voice calls out and I''m broken from my thoughts by Fatty jogging back up to us. He looks¡­ ruffled. Black lipstick stains and bite marks that are poorly hidden by his collar. His hair is all messed up, and he''s barely holding a breath together and I don''t think that''s because of the run back. ¡°I dealt with that crazy woman, don''t worry.¡± He assures me. Fuck it, not my problem. ¡°Blue, fetch me a bottle of Spiritual Wine, and bring it to the garden.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± With that, I wait for the main event. Completely forgetting about the scared stiff contest host as the three of us walk off. ///___/// It''s only a few hours of waiting (drinking) until the auction is about to start. Seeing no reason to wait any longer, I went to my seat before the venue was open to the public. Bringing Fatty, Blue, and Green with me. I wasn''t the only one with that idea admittedly, as a few people in different coloured robes sent glares my way as I sat my group down in the seat of honour second only to the Emperor¡¯s. I must say, this is the most colourful group of halo¡¯s I''ve seen since coming to this world in one place. Most of them are green still, but some are blue, and there are even a few orange halos. The most noticeable however are the red and gold halo. The red belongs to Li Yiran who gives me a cheery wave, and the gold belongs to my former fianc¨¦. Who seems to have put the gift I gave her to use, seeing that she''s in the first stage of Foundation Establishment now. She gives me a complicated look before bowing her head in thanks, I just raised my brow marginally and kept walking. Using my Divine Sense to see the pout on her face behind me. Truly I am villainous. As for everyone else, it wasn''t all hostile looks. One dude with an orange halo and red robes looked at me in obvious surprise before giving me a nod (no idea what the fuck that was about). Fatty informed me that was his acquaintance Jiang Feng so I assumed it was because we were walking together. About to take my seat, I was prepared to just sit here in my boredom until the auction started in full. Maybe talk with Shanny some. Alas, that plan didn''t last long. ¡°Xiang Rong you dog! You dare sit in the seat next to the Emperor!?¡± The shout draws everyone''s attention, and standing at the entrance is the man in government robes from earlier who got pissy and stormed off. ¡°Are you so full of yourself you think yourself a Dragon!?¡± Ah fuck, I did say that, didn''t I? ¡°Hmph, you''re closer to a dragon than any of these fools.¡± Thank you, Shanny, not helping right now but that was nice. Before I can even formulate a response, the chance is taken away from me as a fully armoured man with a dragon motif mask enters. ¡°Announcing his Imperial Majesty, Dragon Emperor Feilong!¡± The room goes silent in an instant, as behind the armoured man walks in a dude in the fanciest robes I''ve seen yet, a myriad of red, gold, and purple. Everyone else either bows their head or drops to their knees, yet I stay transfixed, directly staring at the man. You may ask, is it his halo? No, his halo is better than most people¡¯s as a red one, showing he has some of Heaven''s favour at the least. Yet, instead of his halo, I''m staring at his face. This man¡­ ¡°Xiang Rong didn''t bow!¡± ¡°Is he finally going to be executed!?¡± ¡°Wait, now that they''re standing close together¡­ Why does Xiang Rong look like the Emperor?¡± This man is a carbon copy of me, just with a beard and yellow eyes! ¡°Your Majesty, this servant wishes to inform you of the scoundrel that-¡± ¡°Minister Wu, that is enough.¡± What the fuck he even sounds like me. ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± ¡°Now kowtow a thousand times.¡± Emperor Feilong says, looking at me, then he grins in an extremely familiar manner and turns to the minister. ¡°To Xiang Rong, for the disrespect shown against him.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± Question on his tongue, the minister looks up for just a moment before paling and dropping to his knees. ¡°Of course, your Majesty!¡± Meanwhile, the Emperor looks back at me. ¡°Please, take a seat, I believe you''ll make for a most excellent conversation partner.¡± He says with a playful look in his eye. Bro, you haven''t seen anything yet, I''m the best at this whole conversation thing. ¡°Xiang Rong¡­ I think you should take a second look at your parentage.¡± You think, Shanny?