《Captive God》


 Chapter 1: Yan Wei

    The departing sun spelled evening on Cloudless Sky Continent, where the Xian Clan''s territory was settled. Inside this territory was Silent Rain City, a dystopian trade city that stayed under the radar, where quarrying and the selling of high-end goods took place.


    The distance between Silent Rain City and the next closest city, Fallen Heaven City, was a lengthy three thousand kilometers, and the dangers on the thoroughfare between the two deterred almost everyone.


    It was almost certain that anyone who set foot on the paths would be swarmed by bandits and wild beasts, or get lost on the way there.


    Therefore, the few who were willing to take the risks in order to purchase rare, precious items that were located in Silent Rain City were all aristocrats that were filthy rich and willing to spend it all in one place, or people with a background so awe-inspiring that no one would dare to make any problems for them.


    However, it was a different story for the commoners who lived there.


    A teenaged youth was working as a clerk in a small, high-maintenance pill shop. Not only were beautiful images of flood dragons carved into the walls, the ceiling was decorated with hanging jade dragon statues, and even the air was stifled by majesty as emerald light shone down the stairs from the enigmatic upper floor.


    Fine, raven hair pulled back into a short ponytail with clear and pale skin, the youth''s face was obscured by a white demon mask, and his slender hands were lightly rested on the counter.


    As his frail figure stood at one hundred and eighty centimeters tall, he had the demeanor of an immortal who was reincarnated into a lesser world, exuding an urbane charm that couldn''t be acquired, but rather something he was born with.


    The robe he was given to wear along with his long waist apron once he started working at the shop were both originally white, but were now very shabby and almost grey. However, since the black pill embroidered into the robe was still visible, he didn¡¯t want a new one.


    Aside from this, the mask he wore was contoured to his face perfectly; it had no mouth, and its horns almost seemed lifelike. It didn''t fit his attire very well, but it completely concealed his true appearance, adding another layer of mystery to him.


    Behind the counter, his very presence made every customer shiver, but his personality was exceedingly easygoing.


    As for his name, it was Yan Wei.


    "Never have I met such a kind and helpful person," the middle-aged woman on the opposite side of the counter said with an awkward smile.


    "My customer''s well-being is more important than my own," Yan Wei said as he nodded and sent her off with his eyes.


    This woman was his one-hundredth customer for the day, which was actually a high number in comparison to their usual thirty or so; furthermore, they were all travelers from Fallen Heaven City.


    Yan Wei could discern this from their cultured and distinguished appearances, going along with the fact that they could afford most of what was in the shop.


    Given how small the shop was, their inventory was dwindling visibly with every customer, with only a third of their shelves still stocked.


    Muttering to himself in a low voice, Yan Wei was shocked at the sudden rise in traffic. "I wonder why there are suddenly so many travelers in the city," he thought. "Did something happen on the route to Fallen Heaven City? Pill Master should be ecstatic..."


    Without him even realizing it, a little boy with messy hair and ragged clothing, who was even shorter than the counter walked in. Taking in a mouthful of air, he stuck out his chest and shouted, "I''m here to buy immortal medicine so I can become a cultivator!"Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Oh?" Yan Wei peered over the edge of the counter, smiling faintly beneath the mask.


    "You heard me..." the boy said, trembling as if he instantly regretted it. "Just... point me towards the good stuff!"


    "Can you afford anything we have?" Yan Wei asked skeptically.


    The boy looked down at his feet, searching through his pockets with an embarrassed look. "Erm... I have these!"


    Eyes shining with pride, he pulled out four black coins with a golden, three-tailed majestic bird carved on both sides.


    Those coins were ''rocs,'' the common currency on Cloudless Sky Continent. Rocs were forged from a metal that could only be found within the borders of Cloudless Sky Continent¡ªblack iron.


    Although black iron itself was relatively common on Cloudless Sky Continent, rocs were jointly forged and distributed by the ruling clans of the continent, and were, therefore, a staple in the lives of everyone who lived there.


    Yan Wei came from behind the counter and crouched down to eye-level with him. Tousling the boy''s hair, he said, "Four? That''s one tenth of the price for the cheapest pill we have."


    "Oh..." Tears welled up in the boy''s eyes, which he forced back with everything he had.


    After thinking for a moment, Yan Wei cleared his throat as he looked him up and down.


    Rubbing his chin dramatically, Yan Wei said, "On second thought, you look pretty strong. Hm... how about this: you help me tidy the place up in time for closing, and I''ll give you something that will make you faster, stronger, and maybe even a little taller."


    Hearing the words "stronger," "faster," and especially "taller," the boy''s eyes glittered. "Are you serious?"


    "Promise," Yan Wei said. "If it turns out I''m lying, may the heavens punish me in your place."


    After ridding the boy of his skepticism, he followed behind Yan Wei and blew through the place from top to bottom. Sweeping dirt that was tracked in back out the door, organizing the shelves, and catching insects that found their way in. He even got another customer to come in and buy a bottle of pills; the astonishing part was that they were pills the man didn''t even need.


    "What a sweet talker..." Yan Wei thought. "Too bad he''s too young, or else I would recommend him for hire."


    Two hours passed quickly, whereupon they closed up and Yan Wei sat the boy on the counter.


    Panting, the boy looked up at Yan Wei with a broad smile. He was no longer frightened by the demonic mask; he even came to find it was elegant, in a way he couldn''t quite find the words to describe. "I don''t think we missed anything. Did I do good?"


    "Commendable," Yan Wei said as he reached under the counter and found a simple-looking pill bottle. He shook out a perfectly rounded, golden pill into his hand, then dropped it into the boy''s petrified hand.


    The texture was granulated, and the fragrance it carried seemed otherworldly. "You came here for immortal medicine, right? Well, there it is."


    The boy''s panting had already passed, but now it was back. Shaking, he murmured, "Immortal medicine..."


    "That is a Low-Grade Revitalization Pill," Yan Wei explained. "For cultivators, they''re a commodity; however, for regular mortals, one with a low enough quality to be safely consumed by someone without cultivation is a priceless treasure."


    "Priceless treasure..."


    "The medicinal strength contained inside one of them will enhance your body with some minor improvements permanently, and may even lengthen your lifespan. However, they leave impurities that must be cleansed before enough time passes for them to root themselves into your body."


    Yan Wei fixed his hair and asked, "Kid, what''s your name?"


    "C-Chen Yifeng," the boy said.


    "Chen Yifeng, I can tell at a glance that you''ve grown up here, but you are still too young to know what kind of place Silent Rain City is. The people here are vile, despicable demons, and will commit nearly any crime to make a profit. That pill is more valuable than your life to those very people.


    "That being said, once you consume that pill, if anyone finds out about it, one can only imagine what will happen to you. Do you understand?"


    After a long silence, Chen Yifeng blinked thoughtfully at Yan Wei. "If everyone in the city is a terrible person, why aren''t you?"


    "Because I was raised by someone who came from a better place," Yan Wei said. "If it wasn''t for them, I would have been targeted for my peculiarities a long time ago."


    "Well," Chen Yifeng grinned, "I won''t have to worry about that. With this pill, I''ll be able to travel with the caravan back to Fallen Heaven City!"


    "Caravan?" Yan Wei blurted. "What caravan?"

 Chapter 2: A Long and Twisted Road

    "You must not get out much," Chen Yifeng sighed. "My father says the reason for the huge crowd from Fallen Heaven City is because of an uproar made by one of their wealthiest merchants, Song Zhen. He decided to organize a caravan of a hundred people, including some of his strongest men, in order to travel here as safely as possible and see if the rumors of us having the best of the best in terms of materials and medicine is true. Of course, many people decided to take advantage of the situation and follow."


    "Where are they now?" Yan Wei asked quietly.


    "One of the Yao Clan''s elders greeted them at the city gates and invited them to their estate. Song Zhen stationed most of his men outside of the city to keep out any wild beasts that tracked them on their way to the city, only bringing ten or so with him to the Yao Clan''s estate," Chen Yifeng replied.


    The Yao Clan was the sole clan in charge of Silent Rain City. Using ''tyrannical'' to describe them would be an understatement; of Silent Rain City''s seventy square kilometers, their estate occupied nearly a quarter. Not only were they oppressive, if anyone managed to come across good fortune in the city, they would find some underhanded reason to take control of it.


    However, what irritated Yan Wei was the unfair treatment that businesses, such as the pill shop he worked in were subject to. The Yao Clan took sixty percent of the monthly earnings from every business in the city, and any resistance would have that person thrown in prison.


    Anyone who returned from their prison sentence would find their establishment trashed, with no choice but to move on or start from scratch.


    Yan Wei became sullen at the mere thought of them, and didn''t bother hiding the mutual contempt when someone representing the Yao Clan came at every month''s end, seizing sixty percent of what they managed to sell.


    "Here''s the amazing part, though," Chen Yifeng blubbered excitedly. "When they arrived, Song Zhen announced that if they find anyone with the potential to make a name for themselves, he will bring them back to Fallen Heaven City with him!"


    "I see, so that''s your plan," Yan Wei said, lost in thought. "If you can get into that caravan, you will be the only person from Silent Rain City in the last hundred years to see what Fallen Heaven City is like. If you can''t..."


    Yan Wei walked towards the staircase silently. Once he put his foot on the first step, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Go home. Consume the pill and take a lot of time to rest. If you need anything, come find me." With that, he continued up the stairs, his silhouette bathed in green light as he disappeared into the upper floor.


    "I don''t even know your name yet..." Scratching his head, Chen Yifeng hopped down from the counter and raced the sunset home, wondering what Fallen Heaven City was like the entire way.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Within the green abyss, Yan Wei stood with his hands clasped behind his back, patiently waiting in front of a cross-legged male figure with a small orb of white light dancing in the air around him.


    Time crawled by until finally, the figure inhaled deeply, causing the green, gaseous substance to shrink down around him and into his body, and the white orb to grind to a halt before flying back into the man''s body.


    With the emerald mist gone, the room and everything in it was visible again. The man¡¯s black robes were luxurious, and his face was vigorous and bright, as if he was in the prime of his life, yet streaks of silver ran through his hair.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Is something wrong?" he asked, slowly opening his eyes.


    "Nothing at all, I just have a few things to report," Yan Wei replied. "Pill Master Qiu, two thirds of our inventory was purchased today."


    Pill Master Qiu''s mouth twitched. "What? How is that possible?"


    Yan Wei sighed as he continued, "That brings me to the second matter. A caravan from Fallen Heaven City, consisting of a merchant and a hundred others managed to safely travel the entire way here, all with the goal of sizing up our city''s resources. There were also those who followed the merchant to seize the opportunity and see for themselves. Luckily, our pill shop has the most valuable medicine, so we attracted the most people."


    "So that''s how it is," the Pill Master chuckled dryly. "Consider this our hard work paying off at long last!"


    "Then... there''s the third matter," Yan Wei interrupted. "The merchant announced that he would bring anyone with significant talent back with them on their return trip."


    Stroking his beard, the Pill Master looked up at Yan Wei in realization. "How did you find out about all of this?"


    Yan Wei explained everything in detail about Chen Yifeng and the Low-Grade Revitalization Pill. "I''ll pay you back for the pill, but he really is a good kid. He deserved it more than anyone else we could come across in this city, and now he may just have a chance at leaving this terrible place behind before he grows up."


    "A benevolent act, indeed, but it won''t do him any good," Pill Master Qiu said. "If they truly are just looking for talent, his Sources will determine his fate."


    "Sources?" Yan Wei''s voice contained a hint of confusion.


    "Ai, you may as well learn now," Pill Master Qiu sighed. "Come, sit."


    Yan Wei sat down and mimicked his posture, fully attentive.


    Pill Master Qiu cleared his throat and began his lecture. "Cultivation is a long and twisted road, and by no means is it fair. Inside nearly every mortal''s dantian, there are nodes that absorb spiritual energy called Sources. However many of these Sources they have determines that individual''s potential, as well as their stop on that road.


    "Any less than nine Sources, and they will never advance past the first level of Source Realm; sixteen or more, and they are considered a genius. Prodigies such as those are considerably rare, especially in Silent Rain City. The largest amount of Sources a person can possess is thirty-six, which would put them at the peak of the cultivation world in terms of talent.


    "If that boy has a decent amount of Sources, then he will most likely be fine. However, if he doesn''t, considering he has most likely consumed that pill by now¨C"


    "Then the Yao Clan will have him," Yan Wei said. "I sent Chen Yifeng to his death, is that what you''re trying to tell me?"


    Pill Master Qiu smiled lightly. "Not necessarily. His chances may not be all that great, but in a way, you gave him an amazing gift. Above all else, you gave him hope."


    Yan Wei sat there for a long time before he looked up and asked, "Is there a medicine that can form more Sources in a person''s dantian?"


    "If there is, I''ve never heard of it," Pill Master Qiu said. "Even a place like Fallen Heaven City most likely wouldn''t have it, if it does exist. Don''t worry about the boy, he will be fine."


    "Okay," Yan Wei said as he drew a long breath.


    The Pill Master opened his hand, and viridescent light flashed from inside his sleeve before a piece of semitransparent, black crystal appeared in his palm.


    The crystal became bright as eighteen lights appeared inside. "What you should be worrying about right now is getting yourself on that caravan. You''re old enough to handle yourself now."


    Yan Wei nodded.


    "Take it," the Pill Master said as he tossed the crystal over to him.


    Wuuu~


    As soon as Yan Wei caught it, he felt a strange suction power well up from the crystal in his grasp and drain his stamina.


    Dazed, Yan Wei heard the Pill Master''s voice echo, "You will recover shortly, and the crystal will contain motes of light. Those lights correspond with your Sources, so prepare yourself for whatever happens."


    Yan Wei''s exhaustion faded after eight breaths of time subsided. His vision cleared, and the first thing he saw was Pill Master Qiu''s shocked face.


    "I-Impossible!" Pill Master Qiu cried.


    Filled with excitement, he looked down at the crystal in his hand...

 Chapter 3: Source Channeling Scripture

    Despondency washed over him, and for a moment, Yan Wei thought his mask was obstructing his vision. However, he could sense the disappointment in Pill Master Qiu''s gaze without even looking.


    There, in the very center of the crystal, was a dazzling, solitary light.


    If there was a light for every Source, then that meant...


    The atmosphere immediately sank. It wasn''t as simple as him only having one Source, it also meant that the business''s chances of prospering were crushed.


    Yan Wei was the only person who worked at the pill shop for two reasons. Firstly, with how small the place was, he was all that was needed.


    Second, Pill Master Qiu was bereft of any blood relatives, making Yan Wei the closest thing he had to a son, even though Yan Wei never felt a father-son attachment between them. Thus, if anything happened to the Pill Master, the shop would belong to him.


    If Yan Wei thrived, the pill shop thrived; likewise, if anything detrimental happened to him, it would be the equivalent of stripping away part of the pill shop''s foundation.


    Yan Wei looked up and forced out a laugh. "I''m sorry, Pill Master..."


    "It''s fine, it''s fine," the Pill Master said, snapping out of his trance. "You have a Source, which means you can still cultivate. I can still teach you the ways of medicine and make you into an amazing medicinal sage, and..."


    Yan Wei sighed. "Yeah... sure."


    Pill Master Qiu patted his shoulders and plastered on a smile. His sleeve filled with light again as he grasped the air, retrieving three books, which he handed to Yan Wei.


    "Believe me, you''ll see. You are a good child, so there''s no reason for you to have any misfortunes in life. There must be a good reason for this.


    "The first two manuals are essential to every medicinal sage; study them well."


    "And the third?" Yan Wei asked.


    "It contains the basic cultivation technique that everyone learns," the Pill Master answered. "I have been saving these for you since the day I took you in."


    "Thank you, Pill Master," uttered Yan Wei. "I have to clean up downstairs, so if that''s all for tonight..."


    Shaking his head, Pill Master Qiu said, "I''ll do that. You go ahead and rest for tonight."


    Yan Wei headed back down the tall stairs and locked the front door, then went into the room behind the counter.


    The room was very simple and tidy, with the ceiling being almost twice as tall as Yan Wei. A few books could be seen scattered on the ground, as well as a table, its contents obscured by a fortress of neatly stacked books about gardening, the city¡¯s history, and anatomy¡ªboth human and animal.


    He shut the door behind himself and found a lamp on the table for light.


    All three books laid out in front of him, Yan Wei sat on the soft, woven surface of his bed and picked up the book with the least amount of pages.


    Staring at the cover, he thought about what happened upstairs, and wondered if he should be so indifferent about the situation. ¡°Should I be frustrated about being looked down on? Should I be disappointed about having one Source?¡±


    He shook his head slowly, knowing he would never find an answer until he solved these problems himself.


    "Source Channeling Scripture..." Yan Wei skimmed through to the last page, then started reading from the beginning.


    Every now and then, Yan Wei had to stop and read a passage twice or mentally bookmark a page for revisiting, but other than that, there was no issue as he breezed through the book.


    Three hours later, he had finally finished the first of three portions contained in the book: the Source Channeling Scripture.


    Although his talent was limited as far as cultivation went, that had nothing to do with Yan Wei''s talent in studies. It only took him a moment to comprehend everything he''d just gotten finished reading, and it was also right around this time that the lamp went out, giving Yan Wei the final push that he needed to fall asleep.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ...


    "Cough, cough, cough-cough..."


    The following morning, Yan Wei woke himself up in a violent coughing fit.


    He autonomously leapt out of bed, teeth chattering, and rushed across the room, scrambling to find something on the table as he very nearly lost a lung.


    However, after more than a few seconds had passed and he still had yet come across what he was looking for, Yan Wei knew something was wrong. He organized his own life in a very detailed way, so much so that he could estimate how many steps he would take on any given day with terrifying accuracy.


    Therefore, when he was certain enough that what he was looking for wasn''t where he put it last, he bolted out of the door and up the stairs to the second floor, where Pill Master Qiu was already awake and pill concocting.


    Dry heaving, Yan Wei said in a raspy voice, "Pill Master, cough-cough, I can''t find my¨C"


    Before he could finish, the Pill Master threw a pill bottle to him, emanating a rich, warm aura as it arced through the air.


    Yan Wei opened the bottle without hesitation and fished out a deep orange pill, swallowing it in between coughs.


    "Thank you," Yan Wei wheezed. "How did you get them?"


    "I was refilling the inventory last night, I figured it wouldn''t hurt to refill your bottle of Yang Stabilizing Pills," Pill Master Qiu said. "I also noticed the Yin in your blood is growing stronger, so I increased the potency to the safest limit. Even though they are even more concentrated, you will still need to take two every day."


    "Is it really getting that bad?" Yan Wei asked.


    Pill Master Qiu waved his sleeve at him. "It''s nothing I can''t handle, just don''t forget about them or you''ll get even worse."


    "Got it." Yan Wei thanked him once more, then left him in peace.


    The sun was just rising, so after bathing, Yan Wei had time to start cultivating.


    From what he read in the Source Channeling Scripture, the main purpose of Sources was to absorb and refine spiritual energy. When a Source refined enough spiritual energy, it would begin to release its contained spiritual energy in preparation for connecting with the others.


    The more Sources one had, the faster their refining was, the more spiritual energy they could store, and the stronger they became as a cultivator. However, this also meant they required more spiritual energy to surfeit all of their Sources.


    Once at least nine Sources were filled and part of a person''s spiritual sea, they could break through from Source Realm.


    Nevertheless, breaking through without completing their Sources would also be a waste of potential.


    According to what the book said, the most common amount of Sources was nine. Any less than that, and the person in question would be deemed unsuitable for cultivation.


    Even still, Yan Wei was determined to complete his Source and enter the first level of Source Realm. That way, he could at least become a medicinal sage and uphold the pill shop until his generation came to an end. That was all Pill Master Qiu ever asked of him, so it was among his top priorities to live up to it before moving on.


    Yan Wei sat down in the lotus position(footnote 1) on his bed as he prepared to cultivate for the first time when he suddenly felt nauseous.


    His vision swam, and he felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu so strong it felt like his head might implode.


    In his head, there was a new memory mixed in with his others that almost felt lucid, and his mind seemed to have alerted him as soon as it appeared. In this memory, he could see a pair of hands that he could¡¯ve sworn were his own, but clearly weren¡¯t. Interweaved in a strange manner, they were held in front of ¡®his¡¯ navel as he madly absorbed spiritual energy like rivers flowing into an ocean.


    He looked down at his own hands with bloodshot eyes. He remembered living through this memory before, but he knew it was impossible for it to have ever happened.


    Yan Wei¡¯s hands interweaved in the same way as it was done in his memory before he placed them in front of his navel.


    Although he didn¡¯t know what he was doing, his body seemed to be following a protocol of some sort. By the time he regained control of his body, Yan Wei knew it was too late to go back.


    After a few breaths of time had passed, Yan Wei started to feel a weak attraction force coming from his Source in short pulses, as well as the Yin in his blood being bolstered by them.


    With his eyes closed, he could vaguely sense a thin strand of spiritual energy condensing from heaven and earth that began to slowly make its way to him.


    Yan Wei could be said to have the slowest refining speed that was possible. It surely didn''t help that Silent Rain City was polluted, causing the supply of spiritual energy in the area to gradually decline over the years.


    Two hours inched their way by, and the string of spiritual energy drifted through the air and stopped right in front of him. He inhaled aggressively, causing it to invade his nostrils and slither through his body.


    Just beneath his skin, the glowing white strand of spiritual energy could be seen writhing in a serpentine pattern down the side of his neck, left and right across his chest, until it arrived at his dantian.


    His Source thrummed like an awakened beast, sucking up the strand of spiritual energy at a leisurely pace.


    An hour later, Yan Wei slowly opened his eyes. He could still feel the invigorating sensation of absorbing his first strand of spiritual energy, but he could also feel that it was far from enough.


    "I can feel my Source''s hunger, one strand of spiritual energy won¡¯t do any good," Yan Wei sighed. "If I want to enter the first level of Source Realm, I''ll need dozens more..."


    He managed to cast aside the strange feeling of bearing a memory that he inexplicably knew was, yet somehow wasn¡¯t his, and concentrated once more.


    Prepared to absorb another strand of spiritual energy, unbeknownst to him were the strange things occurring in Silent Rain City.

 Chapter 4: Snowfall

    The next morning, before sunrise.


    Yan Wei took the previous day off to calm his mind and practice cultivation. No more strange memories occurred, and the one that did slowly felt more and more like his own, so much so that he didn¡¯t even find it strange anymore.


    He also tried reading the second portion of the cultivation manual, but the words squirmed around on the page so fast that his eyes couldn¡¯t keep up. There was clearly a need for better innate talent to do so, further confirming that he would never be able to break through from the Source Realm, much less the first level.


    Having refined three more strands of spiritual energy over the past day, Yan Wei was growing accustomed to the refining process. However, he could still tell that there was a well inside his Source, one so deep that he couldn''t see the bottom.


    Two more strands of spiritual energy that he accumulated through the night became one with the air current that flowed through his nose and into his body, moving down into his dantian where they were instantly devoured.


    After taking a deep breath, he sat there on his bed, deep in thought. "At this rate, merely breaking through into the first level of Source Realm seems out of grasp, like trying to reach the clouds in a single jump.


    "Be that as it may, no one asks for poor talent, nor does anyone complain about having great talent. Since I have poor talent, I''ll just have to work ten times harder."


    For hours, Yan Wei sat there with his books, caught in his own soliloquies as sunlight broke the horizon. The occasional loud noise outside would jostle his concentration, only for him to shake his head and sink right back into his studies soon thereafter.


    Fortunately for Yan Wei, cultivating didn¡¯t seem to expend any of his stamina; therefore, he didn¡¯t feel tired, even after cultivating all night.


    Yan Wei had already given up on the idea of reading more of the cultivation manual, so he started with the first book on medicine, which was written by Pill Master Qiu himself, and contained his recorded thoughts and analyses from his first years of working with medicine.


    Although it only consisted of his earlier work, learning from his beginning mistakes would give Yan Wei stable footing for concocting his first medicine later on.


    Yan Wei''s eyes slowly opened upon hearing an abrupt knock on the door. He ignored it and closed his eyes again, but then an even louder knock sounded.


    Prepared to face the Pill Master''s scolding, Yan Wei got up and opened the door.


    To his surprise, however, there was a young man standing there.


    He was only a head shorter than Yan Wei, with hazel eyes, freckles on his cheeks, and a head full of somewhat curly hair.


    Despite all of this, Yan Wei could immediately tell who he was by his tattered tunic and familiar expression.


    "Chen Yifeng!?" Yan Wei shouted.


    "Yeah. I got lots of rest," Chen Yifeng grinned. "The old guy upstairs let me in."Stolen story; please report.


    "I didn''t expect it to have this much of an effect," Yan Wei said. "How do you feel?"


    ¡°I had to convince my father that I was the real me. He thought I was an intruder and nearly killed me.¡± Chen Yifeng scratched his head with an embarrassed look on his face. "Two cups and a door."


    "What?" Yan Wei was caught off-guard.


    "My body is so strong now, those are the things I''ve accidentally broken already..."


    They both burst into laughter.


    Yan Wei cleared his throat. "Alright, why are you here?"


    "I came by to ask if you wanted to tag along and play in the snow with me and my friends," Chen Yifeng said.


    "What did you say?" Yan Wei asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that much younger than you,¡± Chen Yifeng scoffed.


    Yan Wei shook his head with frustration. ¡°No, before that. Did you say snow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It started snowing yesterday morning, and it¡¯s been coming and going ever since,¡± Chen Yifeng replied.


    ¡°It has never snowed here,¡± Yan Wei said.


    Chen Yifeng went and opened the front door so Yan Wei could see for himself. ¡°Are you coming or not?¡±


    It was only now that Yan Wei realized that he wasn¡¯t just cold because of the Yin in his blood, the temperature in the room was actually cold.


    A surprised look on his face beneath the mask, Yan Wei said, ¡°I just took yesterday off, I can¡¯t miss today as well. You go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Chen Yifeng shrugged and left.


    As he looked around at the fully stocked shelves, Yan Wei couldn¡¯t help but admire Pill Master Qiu¡¯s skill and dedication in the art.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work ten times harder...¡± Yan Wei thought.


    Propping himself up on the counter with both arms and the book in his hand, he managed to guide customers to what they were looking for with his only voice as he read on.


    Eventually, he heard a cluster of feet enter the shop with synchronized footsteps.


    After a calm silence, a pleasant female voice warmed his ears. ¡°Would you happen to know where any Blood Congealing Pills are, sir?¡±


    ¡°Left side, right shelf, second row from the top, third bottle from the right.¡± He flipped a page with his thumb and continued with his endeavors in medicine, not even looking up once in the process.


    A snap was heard, then a set of eloquent footsteps followed Yan Wei¡¯s previous directions to find exactly what they were looking for. ¡°Impressive,¡± a young male scoffed.


    ¡°Too busy right now?¡± he asked derisively. ¡°We can come back later, if it¡¯s too inconvenient.¡±


    A small clamor broke out between the male and female pair, then Yan Wei cleared his throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Yan Wei said in a carefree manner. ¡°I¡¯m just making the most of my time. If you need anything else, just ask.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act condescending with me!¡± he barked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not being condescending, I¡¯m just being practical,¡± Yan Wei replied. ¡°I can talk to you without looking at you, but I need to see what I¡¯m reading.¡±


    ¡°You...¡± His voice cracked time and time again as he tried to find a comeback. ¡°Let¡¯s go, there are other pill shops in the city.¡±


    ¡°But none of them are as nice as this one!¡±the female groaned. ¡°You can go if you want, I¡¯m staying.¡±


    "I never would have thought the trash in this city would have such gall." With a harrumph, the young man stormed out, only leaving the girl, Yan Wei, and his book, which he still had yet to look up from.


    Yan Wei flipped a page indifferently. ¡°Is everyone from Fallen Heaven City as proud as him?¡±


    ¡°How did you know we were from Fallen Heaven City?¡± she asked in amazement.


    ¡°You just told me,¡± he teased. ¡°Though, you don¡¯t quite fit in here.¡±


    ¡°Neither do you,¡± she said. ¡°Why do you wear a mask?¡±


    ¡°The same reason anyone wears a mask, there¡¯s something that I don¡¯t want people to see.¡± Yan Wei closed the book and looked up for the first time.


    The girl¡ªgarbed in a long, flowing black dress hemmed with silver¡ªradiated innocence and mischief, and could be considered above average in terms of appearance, enough to cause men with insufficient willpower to do everything they could to curry her favor.


    ¡°Now,¡± Yan Wei walked over to a shelf on the left side of the shop, ¡°did you want those Blood Congealing Pills?¡±


    However, before she could answer, an imposing pressure weighed down on the shop as a young man close to Yan Wei¡¯s age swaggered in with guile.


    ¡°The place is looking good,¡± the young man snickered as the shelves rattled. ¡°A little too good¡­ You haven¡¯t been reneging on our terms, have you?¡±

 Chapter 5: Difference Between Dreams and Reality

    Yan Wei¡¯s knees buckled, the shelves wobbled, and pill bottles hit the ground left and right, rolling across the floor in all directions.


    The young woman stood there as if she was watching a good show, not making a sound.


    ¡°Yao Tianjian...¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Well?¡± Yao Tianjian said with a smile. ¡°You haven¡¯t been pulling a fast one on us now, have you?¡±


    ¡°You think we would take the time to give you less than sixty percent and smooth things over without you noticing?¡± Yan Wei asked, voice brimming with sarcasm and resentment.


    Yao Tianjian¡¯s arrogant face made him want to tear his own skin off. Like every descendant of the Yao Clan, his upper canine teeth were overgrown and exposed, even when his mouth was closed.


    He was no older than Yan Wei and devilishly handsome, but within those good looks, only Yan Wei could sense an undetectable wiliness. His dicey personality made him stand out on Yan Wei¡¯s radar at all times, as if he would kill him at a moment¡¯s notice, just because he felt like it.


    ¡°Hm¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Yao Tianjian released his spiritual pressure and yawned. ¡°Even if you did, we would surely find out in the end. Business must be good then, huh?¡±


    ¡°Splendid,¡± Yan Wei said listlessly.


    Yao Tianjian strutted back and forth, looking up and down at every detail with his hands behind his back. ¡°Who handles the shop?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Yan Wei said, his eyes on Yao Tianjian¡¯s every movement.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yao Tianjian¡¯s grin became even more smug.


    He walked over to Yan Wei and put his hand over the bottom half of Yan Wei¡¯s mask. ¡°Quite the management skills you have. How would you like to work in the Yao Clan estate? There, you wouldn¡¯t have to work with scraps like you do here.


    ¡°Although, the mask would have to go. It¡¯s starting to annoy me¨C¡±


    Yan Wei¡¯s hand shot out like a lightning bolt, clasping around Yao Tianjian¡¯s wrist. In a voice that was only audible to the both of them, he said, ¡°Would you rather be annoyed¡­ or missing this hand?¡±


    Yao Tianjian was appalled by the sudden flare in attitude, and didn¡¯t manage to react before Yan Wei threw his hand down and snorted, ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± Yao Tianjian said, straightening his embroidered sleeve, ¡°I like that. Don¡¯t get so carried away next time, though. Who knows what I might do?


    ¡°Actually, I came here for Miss Qing,¡± he said as he looked over at the young woman in black. ¡°I was assigned as her escort for the remainder of her visit here, after all. Where did Brother Xiu go?¡±


    Qing Hua rolled her eyes. ¡°Big Brother Xiu started whining and left in a rage, he should¡¯ve already gone back to Uncle Song.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yao Tianjian sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll be going back as well, then.¡± He signalled for Qing Hua to follow him.


    ¡°Oh, Yan Wei,¡± he said, stopping with one foot out the door. ¡°Have you heard? It¡¯s snowing, this is the perfect chance for you to gain some experience.¡±


    Smiling enigmatically, he left with Qing Hua right behind, who glanced atYan Wei with newfound disdain.


    Yan Wei cleaned up the mess left behind by Yao Tianjian, trapped in his own deep thoughts the entire time.


    ¡­


    There were only five hours left before sundown.


    ¡°Cough...¡±


    Yan Wei, bewildered, swallowed another Yang-Stabilizing Pill. ¡°Another one already? I should have a few more hours left, unless...¡±


    He suddenly reached an epiphany, then closed up early for the day. Another two hundred or so customers had already flooded in and saw themselves out, so he decided to quit while they were ahead.


    Going up the stairs to Pill Master Qiu, who was just pulling two skewers of roasted meat out of a furnace, Yan Wei was handed a skewer and asked about his day.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Learning about Yao Tianjian¡¯s rampage and the snow outside, he nearly choked twice. ¡°That little runt thinks he owns everything he lays his eyes on.¡±


    ¡°Dreams and reality are two different worlds,¡± Yan Wei scoffed. ¡°He can think whatever he wants, but I¡¯ll be damned if it ever comes true.¡±


    ¡°Those are strong words for someone who will never break past the first level of Source Realm. Strong words require a strong person to say them,¡± the Pill Master said. ¡°Maybe in Fallen Heaven City, where rich-kid brats are everywhere to be seen and money makes everything true, you would be heard, but this is Silent Rain City. No one will listen to you unless you make them listen.¡±


    His honest words sent Yan Wei into a state of self-absorption for a long time, and his ears started to twitch as he formulated a plan.


    A long time passed before he looked up and said, ¡°As you said, cultivation is a long and twisted road. If I don¡¯t have strength, and I can¡¯t acquire the strength everyone else has... I¡¯ll just have to make my own, won¡¯t I?¡±


    Standing up, Yan Wei left the half-eaten meat skewer where he was sitting. ¡°We¡¯ve already hit a safe area of income for the next day or two, so I closed up early. Starting tomorrow morning, I¡¯m going to be taking a look around the city.¡±


    Pill Master Qiu stared in disbelief. ¡°Around the city? Since you got here, you¡¯ve never left the shop. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Gain experience,¡± Yan Wei said resolutely. With that, he left the astounded Pill Master and headed downstairs into his room.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Using the remaining sunlight, Yan Wei finished the second book given to him by Pill Master Qiu, which, to him, was no major accomplishment. His reasoning behind it was that he saw no need in continuing further than that for the time being.


    He had no pills he wished to concoct, and Pill Master Qiu was sustaining their inventory. Therefore, he set aside the last book and started studying into something that he could currently use¡ªspirit formations and mechanisms.


    Under the dim lamplight, Yan Wei had a stack of books with him on his bed, all based on armor, spirit formations, and mechanisms.


    Spirit formations were circles of structured magical symbols that laid the groundwork for affecting large areas with magic, and enhancing items with spiritual energy for different purposes. They could span from hundreds of miles in circumference to a few centimeters.


    Mechanisms were apparatuses that were granted autonomy through the power of a spirit formation that was fueled by raw spiritual energy. In most cases, they were self-operating objects that made life easier for businesses and their owners, or in a more honest sense, the people that worked alongside them.


    Yan Wei acquired a basic understanding of both these subjects through years of reading, although he didn¡¯t even know enough to lay down a spirit formation, let alone create a mechanism.


    Another problem was that cultivation was required to work with spirit formations, which he wasn¡¯t even close to having. These two tasks were large enough to exhaust any other person, but Yan Wei saw ten steps ahead already; he knew that soon enough, he would no longer be tormented by the endless challenges that came with having awful talent, whether it was by transcending them or dying by them.


    He refreshed his rudimentary knowledge by skimming through each book, then slept soundly that night, mentally preparing himself for the next day.


    ...


    At the crack of dawn, Yan Wei slid his bed over and lifted a rotting floorboard, revealing a small mountain of Rocs in the ground.


    In all truthfulness, one of the only reasons Yan Wei managed to lie his way out of Yao Tianjian¡¯s interrogation without skipping a beat was because he was, indeed, taking a small portion of their sixty percent and smoothing things over.


    As far as he was concerned, the people of the Yao Clan were the ones stealing; he was just making sure that he and the Pill Master weren¡¯t flat broke at the end of the day, should anything unexpected happen.


    He counted out five hundred Rocs and threw them inside of a pouch that he tied to his waist before covering his tracks and leaving.


    The second he stepped out, Yan Wei felt sick. With every breath, he could feel the pollution in the air contaminating his body that was as untainted as an infant¡¯s.


    He looked up at the sky, filled with smog as gray snowflakes fell down and landed in his hair, and immediately felt depressed.


    Finding a blacksmith was the first step in his plan. After acquiring what he needed, he would be able to do the rest on his own with some experimenting, research, and months hard work.


    Moving down the street, he ignored the sly old foxes in their rickety merchant stands, who were constantly waving him down and offering food, jewelry, or any other overpriced items.


    ¡°Do you have someone special you¡¯re looking to give a gift to? Come this way!¡±


    ¡°A thin guy like you should be looking to build some muscle, right? My tonic is guaranteed to bulk you up in a day!¡±


    ¡°Try this rare fish out, it¡¯s a pure delicacy in Silent Rain City, and it¡¯s only five hundred Rocs a piece!¡±


    ¡°Anything pure is rare in Silent Rain City...¡± Yan Wei muttered.


    Eventually, he came across a trio of young adults with dirt smeared on their faces and pickaxes slung over their shoulders. They had evidently just come from the quarry and appeared to be in a bad mood as they stood in the middle of the road, doing a shakedown on whoever passed.


    He paused and looked down the side allies, filled with shadowy figures lurking around. Weighing the dangers, Yan Wei reluctantly chose to risk getting past the troublemakers in the road.


    Yan Wei took advantage of the fact that they weren¡¯t paying attention to him and separated a hundred Rocs into another pouch, which he tied loosely and lobbed over on one side of the road.


    Once it hit the ground, the knot came undone and the Rocs spilled out, attracting their gazes as they rushed over.


    ¡°There¡¯s at least a hundred here!¡± one of them cried. ¡°We¡¯re definitely splitting this!¡±


    While they were scraping them up like animals, Yan Wei walked on the other side of the road with large strides until he was out of their line of sight.

 Chapter 6: To the Beat of His Own Drum

    Silent Rain City. Public training ground.


    Yan Wei spent the better part of a day navigating the streets of the city by remaining invisible to his surroundings and following the general crowd from location to location.


    Using this method, he was able to find a store that sold spiritual resources, an establishment that supposedly had the best clothing in the city, and another pill shop that was of a much lower caliber than his.


    It was clear to Yan Wei that all of these places weren¡¯t doing well financially, and that he and the Pill Master were fortunate to not be just like them, if not worse.


    Then there was his final stop, a large training ground where hundreds of people gathered and exchanged pointers. Most people in Silent Rain City were either unfriendly or bloodthirsty, and this training ground was comprised of the latter.


    He was just about to sink back into the crowd after looking around when he suddenly heard an energetic voice call out.


    ¡°Could be talking to anyone,¡± Yan Wei thought, preparing to disappear.


    However, he heard the same voice call out again. ¡°You, with the mask!¡±


    ¡°... Or not.¡± Yan Wei sighed and turned around.


    He looked through the rows of taciturn people in front of practice dummies for the person who called him, only to find that there was a group of young men standing in the far corner of the training ground, each holding a pair of arm-length wooden rods.


    The assumed leader of the group, a young adult with clean stubble and a crude smile on his face, held his hand up in the air and shouted, ¡°Do you practice swordplay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yan Wei shouted back. ¡°I barely even practice writing.¡±


    The group of young men laughed uproariously, then the man shouted once more. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you join us? It wouldn¡¯t hurt to pick up a skill or two while you¡¯re still young.¡±


    Yan Wei was prepared to decline; all he was looking for was a blacksmith, after all.


    But in the long term, increasing his strength in every way possible, not just through cultivation, was exactly what Yan Wei wanted. As for swordplay, it was something that would most likely come in handy in the future.


    Therefore, after a moment of reserve, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m looking for something at the moment, but I¡¯ll be sure to come back soon. Keep an open spot for me.¡±


    They had a good impression of him already, so they all voiced their agreement and bid him farewell, one after another.


    However, before everyone could get a chance, the world around them suddenly felt odd. They saw him walk away, but his movements followed an otherworldly rhythm that seemed to slow everything around him to a crawl, as if his existence transcended the mundane.


    In a way that was neither fast nor slow, he vanished from their line of sight without leaving a trace. Their heartbeats raced, and in that moment of amazement, they had already forgotten what they were doing.


    Even Yan Wei himself didn¡¯t realize he was doing something so strange, he just knew he was in a bit of a rush and wanted to find a blacksmith before businesses started closing for the day.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    While the others continued training with confounded expressions, the older youth had a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t just a kid¡­¡± he said, trembling where he stood. ¡°No one in Source Realm, especially a child, has that level of spatial awareness. It¡¯s not possible. Even if he really was who he appeared to be, that means he was definitely concealing his cultivation, and most definitely wasn¡¯t from Silent Rain City.


    ¡°... I¡¯m thinking about it too much. If he truly does return, I¡¯ll find out what his intentions are in this place.¡±


    Since it was earlier on in the evening, naturally there were still a few people wandering about. Catching snowflakes on his fingertips, Yan Wei¡¯s movements had already returned to normal as he strolled down an open road that appeared to be a dead end up ahead.


    This wasn¡¯t unusual, as a lot of roads in the city were like this. In fact, if one were to get a bird¡¯s eye view of Silent Rain City, they would find that the main roads all meandered out from a central point like the spiral arms of a galaxy. From here, they branched off into many connecting side streets and alleyways.


    Bandits and generally bad people were what made up Silent Rain City, thus, none of the roads could be considered safe. What made Yan Wei curious about this road in particular was that it had a beacon of sorts.


    Fair-sized cottages decorated the roadsides, and at the very end of the cul-de-sac, there was a two-story structure with three chimneys, each fuming with a different hue of colorful smoke.


    Drunkards were stumbling out of the door in single file, and new ones replaced them shortly after.


    On the porch of a certain cottage, Chen Yifeng was removing leather from a tanning rack when he saw Yan Wei¡¯s outline, veiled by snowfall. Only when Yan Wei was passing by did he manage to see who it was.


    Elated, Chen Yifeng dropped what he was doing and turned to greet him. ¡°Big brother?¡±


    ¡°Chen Yifeng? Don¡¯t tell me you live all the way out here,¡± Yan Wei said, stepping onto the torchlit porch that shielded them from the snow.


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Chen Yifeng replied. ¡°How come you¡¯re so far away from the pill shop?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a blacksmith,¡± Yan Wei answered. ¡°Do you know of one?¡±


    Chen Yifeng shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any around here, but I wouldn¡¯t know. Why did you need to find one?¡±


    ¡°I need a nearly impenetrable material for a piece of equipment I¡¯m working on, and tempered steel would have done just fine.¡±


    ¡°Impenetrable...¡± Chen Yifeng muttered. ¡°I might be able to help, come with me!¡± He grabbed Yan Wei by his sleeve and dragged him inside the cottage.


    ¡°Father!¡± Chen Yifeng shouted as he ran into the adjacent room.


    Yan Wei stood there patiently with his hands resting behind his back, looking around at the strange room.


    There were gorgeous animal hides hung up on the walls, and ruined pieces of leather scattered across the floor, seemingly torn through by a sharp edge of some sort.


    A few moments later, Chen Yifeng returned with a middle-aged man by his side. He wore simple clothes that signified his wealth, and the dark bags under his eyes were proof of his tiring labor.


    Even so, his entire person radiated intelligence. From the exterior, one could tell he was most likely a scholar that never quite made his aspirations into a reality.


    ¡°A guest at this hour is unusual,¡± he said. ¡°Who might you be?¡±


    Yan Wei clasped his hands and bowed deeply. ¡°My name is Yan Wei. Chen Yifeng has helped out at my workplace before, so I¡¯m more or less acquainted with him.¡±


    ¡°Are you the one who bestowed Immortal medicine to Yifeng?¡± he asked in a strange voice.


    ¡°I am,¡± Yan Wei nodded. ¡°I promised him the pill in return for his assistance, and I keep my word.¡±


    A smile broke out on the man¡¯s face. ¡°Then you are always welcome here in the home of Chen Zhe. What brought you here so late in the day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure either,¡± Yan Wei said as he looked over at Chen Yifeng. ¡°I was originally looking for a material to use that can¡¯t be pierced easily, and could sustain considerable damage from blunt force. However, with the way things are, it looks like that won¡¯t happen today.¡±


    ¡°Father, we can help him, right?¡± Chen Yifeng gave his father a knowing look.


    ¡°Indeed, we can,¡± Chen Zhe said as he pondered for a moment. ¡°Wait right here.¡± He hurried back into the next room over, an elated grin on his face.