《Reborn Magician Tyrant [Old]》


 Prologue

    In the 243rd year of the Clovis reign, armies from the Zhen Dynasty attacked cities on the eastern coast of the Human Kingdom. Due to a recent war with the neighboring Demon Kingdom, and from having no knowledge of the Zhen Dynasty¡¯s existence across the ocean, the Human Kingdom stood no chance against the mysterious force they were suddenly pressed against. From boats that reached almost a mile in length, hundreds of thousands of Zhen soldiers poured out, conquering everything in their path.


    The largest armies of the Human Kingdom were still busy eliminating the remnants of the Demon Kingdom¡¯s Seven Demonic General Armies and couldn¡¯t move their troops fast enough to intercept the foreign soldiers. By the time messengers arrived at the Human Kingdom¡¯s farthest army, Saint Nero¡¯s Legion of Holy Swords, the capital had already fallen to the invaders. However, since the three heroes of the Human Kingdom were with Saint Nero¡¯s Legion of Holy Swords and didn¡¯t know about the collapse, they rushed to the capitol¡¯s aid.


    Abandoning their supporting soldiers and forgoing all regulations, the three heroes traveled as fast as they could. To travel across the Human Kingdom, which spanned almost 5,000 miles from end to end, it took the heroes less than a month. As they passed burning fields and the marching armies of the Zhen Dynasty, the heroes hoped their capital would still be standing.


    Once arrived at the capital, the heroes were greeted by ash. The magnificent stone wall, which once surrounded the entire city, were crushed like they were made from sand. Homes for hundreds of thousands of people, which surrounded the palace at the center of the city, were still burning in some parts. The palace, a magnificent feat of architecture and design, no longer stood where it once was for hundreds of years. Instead, a pile of a rubble occupied the center of the city.


    The heroes, greeted by this scene and surrounded on all sides by Zhen Dynasty soldiers, went berserk. They fought for eight years to protect their beloved kingdom, but now everything was gone. The capital survived eight years of demonic onslaughts, only to be felled by an unknown enemy.


    Fueled by rage, the heroes separated and devastated the Zhen Dynasty armies. One magician went to the sea, to destroy the ships which had transported the soldiers to their kingdom, and the other magician went with the swordsman to destroy as many soldiers as they could. Each of them knew they were facing something they had no chance of defeating. The Demon Kingdom had forces only slightly greater to those of the Human Kingdom. The Zhen Dynasty had unfathomable power at their disposal.


    Within a week, the swordsman died. The Zhen Dynasty soldiers were simply too strong when it came to close range, easily wiping out mountains and humans alike. Though the swordsman had techniques to deflect the force of a boulder falling from a cliff, he could do nothing against the force of an entire mountain falling on him. The magician, seeing his comrade killed so easily, fled from the encounter.


    For days, the magician hid in the swamps near the south of the capital. Though the Zhen Dynasty soldiers had enough physical power to uproot a tree with one punch, they lacked the magical ability to create a forest of stone pillars with a thought. Gradually, the magician killed off soldiers until one could be captured.


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    With the captured soldier, the magician learned the secret to his power. With a strange and foreign power, Cultivation, the soldier could augment his body to have the strength of a hundred men. This power came from something called a Dantian, an organ the magician had never heard of. When the magician tried to free the soldier of his dantian, he was met with infinite protests.


    Removing the soldier¡¯s dantian caused him immense pain, but the magician pulled through. He gave no regard to the soldier¡¯s disdain, and eventually completely removed the dantian. The soldier immediately died, his body aging dozens of years in a matter of seconds.


    Even after killing the Zhen Dynasty, the magician gained little knowledge over the mysterious organ and power contained within it. To further his research, he needed to gather more test subjects. Soldiers had to cross the swamp periodically, and the magician stole one from every convoy. In an army of millions of soldiers, just one going missing on a supply mission meant nothing, and the magician operated for months without being found.


    However, the magician was eventually caught while trying to destroy the dantian of a passing Zhen Dynasty soldier. The soldier cried out as the magician pulled his dantian from his body, alerting the other members of his convoy. Suddenly, hundreds of soldiers surrounded the magician.


    In that area of the swamp, a complete freeze might only happen during unusually cold winters. But, a complete freeze happened then too. The magician sent ice magic into the water of the swamp, freezing everything for a mile. Most of the Zhen Dynasty soldiers near the magician were incapacitated, unable to move their frozen legs, but some of the ones further away were able to react before the magician''s spell fully froze the swamp.


    Though a hundred soldiers were taken out of the fight in an instant, hundreds more were still closing in for the attack. The magician began running away, fleeing for his life. The soldiers kept coming, ignoring their comrades who fell to haphazardly fired magic from the magician.


    When the first Zhen Dynasty soldier landed a hit on the magician, he was met with his dantian exploding. The magician turned around, now knowing he could not outrun the soldiers. Another soldier tried to punch the magician, but he too got his dantian destroyed.


    Reinforcements came from the Zhen Dynasty soldiers, and soon thousands of cultivators were attacking the magician. Needless to say, the magician didn¡¯t last long. However, in the last few seconds of his life, the magician lashed out with his own mysterious power.


    The magician feared using his soul to power his spells would drastically reduce his lifespan, but that was a fear of the past. Surrounded by tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, his lifespan was limited to a single digit number of days. Using all the mana and soul power he had, the magician desperately fought off the horde of cultivators by destroying their dantians.


    By the time the magician had run out of energy, he was already dead. He didn¡¯t know when he died, all he knew was that his physical body no longer existed.


    ¡°What now?¡± The magician asked the void surrounding his astral form.

 Chapter One

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter One</h1>


    In the city of Shijiang, the Lord of the Li house of cultivators stands next to his wife¡¯s dead body. At the foot of the bed the lady is laying on, a pair of doctors are looking at a baby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy, healthy and nearly nine pounds,¡± Says one of the doctors.


    ¡°Do you wish to hold him, Lord Wen?¡± Asks the other doctor.


    ¡°Get that piece of trash out of my sight,¡± The Lord replies, and leave the room, sickened at the thought of holding the child which killed his beloved wife.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°At least give him a name,¡± The second doctor calls after the Lord.


    ¡°Feng,¡± The Lord says, and vanishes behind a door in the corridor.


    ¡°His name is Li Feng,¡± The second doctor says to the first. ¡°Record the date and time, and then deliver his papers to the head servant. I¡¯m going to get a drink before the tea shops close.¡±


    The second, more experienced doctor leaves, leaving work for the first doctor to complete before he can go home. However, the first doctor is not left alone in the room. Besides himself, there is another entity capable of complex thought.


    ¡®How strange¡­¡¯ The baby thinks, evaluating his surroundings.

 Chapter Two

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Two</h1>


    Five years pass at the Li estate, and several servants are searching for Li Feng, who has gone missing since earlier in the day.


    ¡°Young master!¡± Shouts a servant.


    ¡°Young master, where are you?¡± Shouts another servant.


    The two servants are moving from room to room in the Li estate while looking for Li Feng. The child, though only five years old, completely evades the servants searching for him. This is due, in part, to the previous life¡¯s knowledge within Li Feng. He is not just the youngest child of the strongest cultivation family in Shijiang, but also the reincarnated hero magician of a defeated kingdom from days gone by.


    In the courtyard of the estate, the martial arts elder stands with his eyes closed, five students of his kowtowing in front of him. As the clock strikes fourteen hours, he opens his eyes and scans the students that have gathered.


    ¡°I see the young master Li Feng is not here,¡± He says, noticing one face missing from his usual crowd. ¡°Ten Thunder Palms to the one who finds him. Everyone else, a hundred.¡±


    With the punishment set, the five students stand and rush to find Li Feng. All of them are brothers, all born from the same mother, the very same one that Li Feng killed while being born. If that wasn¡¯t enough to make them hate him, the five brothers hate their youngest brother because he¡¯s the epitome of laziness.


    Meanwhile, Li Feng evades the servants by escaping through an open window on the third floor of their estate. The outside walls of the estate are made from stone, which helps Li Feng with descending since he can directly manipulate the blocks as he glides down the wall. A few seconds after clearing the wall and beginning a slow walk towards the shade of a peach tree.


    ¡°Feng!¡± Shouts one of his brothers, who spots him around the corner of the estate¡¯s wing.


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ Li Feng curses and faces his third brother. ¡°Hello, Brother Ming,¡± Li Feng says and gives a short bow. ¡°What can I help you with today?¡±


    ¡°You know damn well,¡± Li Ming says and makes several quick steps toward Li Feng, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. ¡°You disrespect Elder Tan by not showing up to his lessons.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you think I would skip out on Elder Tan¡¯s lessons?¡± Li Feng widens his eyes, fully aware of what he did. ¡°I¡¯d never!¡±


    ¡°You bastard, Elder Tan is going to give us all Thunder Palms because you didn¡¯t show. At least I¡¯ll only get ten, because I found you,¡± Li Ming says and pushes Li Feng to the ground. ¡°Get up and walk to the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°I sure am glad you found me, I¡¯d have missed Elder Tan¡¯s lesson if you didn¡¯t!¡± Li Feng proclaims, talking as if he doesn¡¯t dread the martial arts lessons.


    ¡°How do you live, showing so little respect to your brothers and elders?¡± Li Ming asks, but doesn¡¯t receive an answer. ¡°Honestly, you should have been the one to pass, instead of mother. Then, we might have the chance for a useful brother.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Ah, you found him!¡± The second brother, Li Chen, looks out the window of a first floor room and says. After jumping out of the window, Li Chen stands next to Li Ming and Li Feng. ¡°Let¡¯s return to Elder Tan.¡±


    ¡°I found him first,¡± Li Ming says, pushing Li Feng away from Li Chen. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to claim it was you.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d do something so dishonorable?¡± Li Chen asks his brother. ¡°It¡¯s Chen you¡¯re talking to, not Feng.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Li Ming says and punches Li Feng in the jaw before smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    The two return to the courtyard with Li Feng in the lead. The reason that Li Feng dislikes the martial arts lessons is simple; he doesn¡¯t have any cultivation. This is not unusual, because Li Feng has yet to undergo the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual, and there¡¯s nothing he can do to change it. Once the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual is complete, Li Feng should have access to his dantian and be able to cultivate.


    Once they return to the courtyard, Elder Tan, who has been standing with his eyes closed the entire time his students searched for Li Feng, opens his eyes. ¡°Good, you found him Li Chen.¡±


    ¡°No, Elder Tan, I was the one who found Li Feng,¡± Li Ming interjects. ¡°Brother Chen merely tagged along while I escorted Feng here.¡±


    ¡°No, Elder Tan, Brother Ming simply stole Feng from my hands as I brought him to you. I didn¡¯t stop him, since I knew you¡¯d see through his ploy in an instant,¡± Li Chen says, smirking at Li Ming.


    Like lightning, Elder Tan appears next to Li Chen with his palm open, and Li Chen flies fifty feet back. ¡°Fool! You think I¡¯d be deceived by children? This was just a test to see if you think I¡¯m a dimwitted old man! You will receive two hundred Tiger Claws before your Thunder Palms!¡±


    ¡°Elder Tan, I apologize for trying to deceive you!¡± Li Chen shouts, but his apology isn¡¯t heard by Elder Tan, who moves light lightning again to appear in front of Li Chen. ¡°Ah!¡±


    Elder Tan¡¯s arms move like whips, striking and pulling back across Li Chen¡¯s chest. Since Elder Tan is a master, he can lower the power on his Tiger Claws until it fails to break the skin but still causes immense pain. After forty strikes, Elder Tan has covered Li Chen¡¯s upper body with two hundred pulsing red lines, each an explosion of pain.


    ¡°Now here come the Thunder Palms!¡± Elder Tan yells and hits Li Chen with the palm of his hand. Li Chen blocks the attack with his forearm, but is still blown back. Compared to the whip-like speed of Tiger Claws, Thunder Palms are slow enough to laugh at. Still, Li Chen barely has a chance to block the incoming attacks.


    After two hundred Thunder Palms, the red lines caused by Elder Tan¡¯s Tiger Claws have all opened up, pouring blood over Li Chen¡¯s red tunic. ¡°Get another tunic and return. You have five minutes,¡± Elder Tan says to Li Chen, then turns to face the rest of his students.


    During the commotion of Elder Tan punishing Li Chen, the remaining three brothers gathered at the courtyard. Li Ming still holds onto Li Feng, and the others look at with fear at their bleeding brother. Halfway across the courtyard, Li Chen falls to the ground, but he waves away a servant that comes to help, and he picks himself up and walks the rest of the way inside the estate.


    ¡°I¡¯m next,¡± The eldest brother says, stepping forward to receive his two hundred Thunder Palms. Li Shen knows going as soon as possible will allow his injuries the most time to heal, so it¡¯s better to get the punishment over with than wait till the end. Otherwise, he¡¯ll have to practice techniques while feeling the full pain of Elder Tan¡¯s unavoidable Thunder Palms.


    Meanwhile, as he watches his brother one after the other take two hundred palm strikes to the body, all of them trying to defend himself to the best of their ability, Li Feng cannot help but think, ¡®What a stupid bunch these cultivators are,¡¯ and he waits for his eventual turn at receiving Thunder Palms from the master.

 Chapter Three

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Three</h1>


    The next day, Li Feng is woken up by a servant before even the sun has risen. This is very unusual, since Li Feng likes to sleep until noon and makes sure all servants know it.


    ¡°Young master, you must wake up,¡± The servant says, shaking Li Feng awake. ¡°Today is the day of your Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformation ritual. You must not be late for it.¡±


    ¡°I know, Bai,¡± Li Feng says and sits up. ¡°Just give me five more minutes of sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said ten minutes ago!¡± The servant, Lam Bai, yells, seeing Li Feng fall back with his eyes closed. ¡°If you¡¯re late, Lord Wen will have to pay ten thousand coins to the temple!¡±


    Li Feng groans and sits up again. Though he doesn¡¯t want to participate in any ritual with ¡®Boiling Cauldron¡¯ in the name, even moreso he doesn¡¯t want to make Lord Wen lose any money. After Li Feng broke a branch off a neighbor¡¯s pear tree, Lord Wen had to pay two thousand coins to the neighbor, and Li Feng received two hundred Goose Beak finger pokes.


    Li Feng grudgingly slides out of bed and walks to his closet to choose the outfit of the day. Along his clothes are white tunics, gray tunics, blue tunics, and red tunics. The red tunics are for training in, since the blood earned from working hard won¡¯t stain them. The blue tunics are reserved for formal occasions, and the white and gray tunics are for everyday use. Since a Li Feng knows he¡¯s participating in a ritual today, he wears a blue tunic.


    ¡°Excellent choice, young master,¡± Lam Bai says, bowing and exiting the room so that Li Feng can change in private.


    Once the servant closes the door after they leave, Li Feng quickly changes. Because his clothes are tunics, they are easy to change in and out of quickly. After changing tunics, Li Feng opens the door and allows the servant back inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re a very handsome young master when you¡¯re in your formal clothes,¡± Lam Bai says, taking a few steps inside the room and bowing. ¡°Let me make your queue.¡±


    The servant sits Li Feng in a chair in front of a mirror, then beings to braid his long black hair. Like all the martial arts practicing members of the family, Li Feng has never had his hair cut, and it gets braided by a servant several times a week so that it maintains a tight queue behind his head.


    ¡°There, we¡¯re ready to go,¡± Lam Bai says, finishing Li Feng¡¯s queue and taking a step back. Li Feng pulls his hair around to the front of his body and pulls several times on it, testing for loose strands. The hair is tightly braided and hurts his scalp when pulled on, a clear sign of a queue done well.


    ¡°Yes, let us depart,¡± Li Feng says and stands from the chair. After putting on his shoes, Li Feng follows Lam Bai out of the estate. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    At the front of the estate, Lam Bai calls for a ride from a passing rickshaw driver. At the cost of three hundred coins, Lam Bai secures the fast transport to the temple, and she climbs into the passenger seat after Li Feng. The driver puts the coins in a bag tied around his waist, then picks up the rickshaw¡¯s handles and makes his way to the temple, a route he knows yell.


    The driver takes Li Feng and Lam Bai along the outer circuit of the city. The road here is larger than anywhere else in the city, specifically to allow carts and rickshaws to quickly pass. As such, being a frequently traveled road, many shops have made this road their home. Along the way, Lam Bai looks at all the interesting products in display windows as the rickshaw passes. Li Feng, however, is unimpressed.


    ¡®A magic enchanter could make something ten times as good as that,¡¯ Li Feng silently rebukes as Lam Bai points out a tool for creating explosions. The tool pales in comparison to what magicians in Li Feng¡¯s time could create if given the right materials and when using the right runes. Unfortunately, since Li Feng never learned runic magics, he cannot enchant objects.


    The drives goes from the northeast side of the city to the southeast, finally arriving at the temple. Outside the temple, two monks dressed in bright orange robes are meditating on the stone steps leading to inside the temple, and the driver stops. Li Feng and Lam Bai exit the rickshaw, Lam Bai thanking the driver before he leaves, and they walk up the temple steps and into the temple.


    The large entrance way of the temple has no doors and is open day or night, rain or shine. Everyone in the city is welcome there, no matter the situation they find themselves in. For this very reason, the temple is usually packed tight. It¡¯s extremely rare for a monk to be free to assist someone through their Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformation ritual, but Lord Wen, a landed gentry, a sizable donation of rice helped provide one for each of his sons.


    ¡°I am here with young master Li Feng for his Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual,¡± Lam Bai says to a monk standing inside the temple. Though many monks are occupied, this one and the two outside remain free to address recent visitors and emergencies.


    ¡°Very well, Brother Zhong will assist you,¡± The monk says and bows, and points with open hands to a monk standing in front of a door on the left side of the room.


    ¡°Thank you, monk,¡± Lam Bai says and leads Li Feng to the monk who¡¯s waiting for them. The pair walk through the crowded temple to eventually reach the monk standing in front of the door.


    ¡°I am waiting for Li Feng,¡± Zhong says, looking from Li Fend to Lam Bai.


    ¡°He is young master Li Feng. We¡¯re here for the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual,¡± Lam Bai tells the monk.


    ¡°Very good, follow me inside,¡± Zhong says and opens the door to the room behind him, then walks inside.


    Li Feng walks in first and is followed by Lam Bai, who closes the door behind herself. Inside the room, Li Feng watches unamused as Zhong walks up to a giant cauldron, about waist height, full of steaming water. The room is illuminated by streaks of light shooting from the ceiling to the floor, several beams passing through the steam rising out of the cauldron. The stone walls of the room are a lime green, reminiscent of a dungeon where moss isn¡¯t cleaned off the walls frequently enough.


    ¡°Taken off your clothes and jewelry, then climb into the cauldron,¡± Zhong says, walking around to stand on the opposite side of the cauldron.

 Chapter Four

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Four</h1>


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not getting in that,¡± Li Feng says, taking a step back and being stopped by Lam Bai. ¡°I am not climbing into a cauldron of boiling water.¡±


    ¡°The water isn¡¯t boiling,¡± Zhong says and enters his hand into the cauldron. ¡°It¡¯s just hot enough to steam. Not boiling, but steaming.¡±


    ¡°You have to do it, young master,¡± Lam Bai says, pushing Li Feng forward. ¡°Even I had to undergo the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual when I turned five years old.¡±


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ Li Feng curses, not seeing any way out of the situation. He could use his magic to break out of the room, but all monks are training from a young age to be especially powerful cultivators. If he tried to overpower Zhong standing on the other side of the cauldron, Li Feng knew he¡¯d be no match.


    Reluctantly, Li Feng walks over to the cauldron. As he gets closer, the temperature in the room gets higher, making Li Feng sweat. The water is indeed not boiling, but a steady stream of steam is being produced, indicating that the water is not far from boiling. The water in the cauldron is leagues hotter than a hot bath.


    As Li Feng takes off his clothes, he hands them to Lam Bai. The servant turns her head to face the wall of the room, reaching out with one hand to take whatever Li Feng hands her. After removing his tunic and shoes, Li Feng is entire undressed, and he climbs into the cauldron.


    The hot iron cauldron is the first thing to assault Li Feng¡¯s body. The rim of the cauldron is smooth and burns Li Feng¡¯s palms as he touches it. He pulls his hands away, looks at Zhong, then sighs. ¡®Maybe a little magic wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed,¡¯ Li Feng thinks and uses ice magic to reduce the temperature of the metal he¡¯s touching.


    He climbs into the cauldron, and the next heat to hit Li Feng is the steaming water. The cauldron rim could be cooled without showing any change for Zhong or Lam Bai to notice, but the water cannot simply be cooled down with magic. If Li Feng did reduce the temperature of the water, the steam would stop.


    Li Feng is hesitant before fully entering the water, his legs and waist already burning from the hot water. Right now, his choices are to go fast and fluently, dunking his body in one go, or gradually lowering himself into the water. Either way, the pain will be immense. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Just then, Li Feng gets an idea and dunks himself into the water. It hot water is painful for a few seconds, but then ice magic cools it down enough so that it¡¯s not painful. At the same time, Li Feng uses fire magic to reheat the top few inches of water, resulting in only his hair getting singed.


    After Li Feng completely submerges himself, Lam Bai turn back to facing the cauldron, and Zhong turns around. Behind him is a lever on the wall with a tap next to it, and bucket under the tap. By pressing the lever down, boiling water comes pouring through the tap and into the bucket, filling it quickly. Once the bucket is full, Zhong turns around and dumps it into the cauldron.


    ¡°Transformation number one!¡± Zhong shouts as the bucket empties over the cauldron. The boiling water cascades around Li Feng¡¯s head, burning his face where it touches him. The sudden sensation makes him need to breath, and he ascends from the water.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Li Feng gasps, breathing in hot, steamy air. His body receives another wave of pain as the inflamed skin contacts the air.


    ¡°You must stay submerged for all nine transformations!¡± Zhong says and forcefully dunks Li Feng into the cauldron¡¯s water. Zhong holds Li Feng down for a few moments before refilling the bucket with boiling water.


    ¡®This is madness!¡¯ Li Feng wants to shout, but he doesn¡¯t want to offend Zhong. The monk does not have to respect Li Feng as a young master of the Li family, and is protected from honor-bound duels by the temple. If Li Feng offends any monk and is punished accordingly, he knows he¡¯ll have no recourse available to him.


    Zhong finishes filling the second bucket of water and dumps it into the cauldron. Like last time, Li Feng is assaulted by the boiling water across his face and scalp. The only fortunate thing about the situation is that the water already in the cauldron helps reduce the temperature of the boiling water enough so that it won¡¯t cause permanent damage. However, if he wasn¡¯t using magic to cool the water under the surface, Li Feng doesn¡¯t know how he¡¯d survive.


    ¡°Transformation number one!¡± Zhong shouts with the second bucket being dumped. He refills the bucket again, dumping the full contents on top of Li Feng, in the cauldron. Water overflows the cauldron sides, but it flows back toward Zhong, not getting Lam Bai wet. With the second bucket, Zhong shouts, ¡°Transformation number two!¡± and he goes to get the third bucket.


    On the last bucket of boiling water, Zhong shouts, ¡°Transformation number nine!¡± and pulls Li Feng from the water by his queue. Li Feng gasps for air and shivers as cold hits his body. ¡°The Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual is now complete! Go buy a Heavenly Mirror Stone to check your cultivation, and leave,¡± Zhong says, replacing the bucket on the floor, and leaves the room.


    ¡°Young master,¡± Lam Bai says, holding out Li Feng¡¯s clothes, and turns around to face the door.

 Chapter Five

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Five</h1>


    After getting dressed and leaving the temple, Li Feng follows Lam Bai into a rickshaw. Before returning to the estate, Lam Bai needs to purchase a Heavenly Mirror Stone, which will allow Li Feng to check the amount of cultivation he now has. Li Feng could cultivate without the knowledge of how much cultivation he has, but training can be specialized when the exact numerical amount of cultivation is known.


    For instance, Li Shen had a cultivation of 57-Mortal after he completed the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual, and Li Yuen, Li Feng¡¯s fifth brother, had a cultivation of 44-Mortal. The Heavenly Mirror Stone shows a person¡¯s cultivation by changing color and covering its surface with stars. In Li Shen¡¯s case, the Heavenly Mirror Stone turn white and grew fifty seven stars.


    Cultivation has five stages, and each of those stages has 99 levels of cultivation. The first stage for a cultivator is Mortal, which is the same stage as those who cannot cultivate. Peasants and nobles alike start at this stage, and it has the most cultivation techniques available to it. The next stage is Body, where the physical capabilities of a cultivator are enhanced to levels ordinary people couldn¡¯t dream of obtaining. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Before Li Feng starts his journey of cultivation, he must see his starting cultivation level. A genius like Li Wen could have a cultivation level of 99-Mortal when they first check on the Heavenly Mirror Stone, but most people expect to have around 20-Mortal if they¡¯re not from a large cultivation family. For Li Feng, his family expects him to have around 10-Mortal cultivation, since he doesn¡¯t train with Elder Tan or practice any techniques.


    A short rickshaw ride delivers Li Feng and Lam Bai to a shop on near the estate. There are shops for Heavenly Mirror Stones closer to the temple, but this shop is where Li Wen does most his business, since the owner is a friend from back when he was in the army.


    Li Feng steps off the rickshaw and waits for Lam Bai to follow him and instruct the driver to stick around before they enter the shop. Lam Bai enters first and greets the old chubby man behind the counter. ¡°Hello, Liu Chen, we¡¯re here for the young master¡¯s Heavenly Mirror Stone.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, young master Li, Lam. Alright,¡± Liu Chen says, reaching under his counter and pulling out a circular stone wrapped in cloth. ¡°One thousand coins, as always.¡±


    ¡°Here you are,¡± Lam Bai says, handing a 1,000 coin piece to the man and picking up the clothed stone. ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    ¡°You as well,¡± Liu Chen says, and Li Feng and Lam Bai leave the store. Li Feng and Lam Bai get back on the rickshaw, then take it back to the estate.

 Chapter Six

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Six</h1>


    In the courtyard of the estate, Li Feng stands while holding the Heavenly Mirror Stone in its cloth wrap. In front of him, his five brothers and his father are watching. A large celebration would usually be held, but Lord Wen doesn¡¯t want to celebrate anything for Li Feng. Though he is the youngest son, he is the biggest disappointment.


    ¡°Unwrap the stone, then touch it with your hand. It should be clear and completely void of stars. After you touch it, show the stone to us,¡± Lord Wen says, and Li Feng does as he¡¯s told.


    The Heavenly Mirror Stone is completely transparent and reflects the sun¡¯s glare at Li Feng when he stares at it. The stone is a perfect sphere, without blemish, and he¡¯ll be the first person to touch it. Because Heavenly Mirror Stones cannot be used a second time without a third stage cultivator clearing the cultivation reading, and nobody in the estate has reached the Ascendant stage, Li Feng only has one time to use the stone.


    Gently, Li Feng places the tips of his fingers on the stone. A foggy mist spreads through the Heavenly Mirror Stone, starting from Li Feng¡¯s fingers, until finally the entire stone is colored white. For a few more minutes, Li Feng waits for the first star to appear on the surface. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Li Kwok, Li Feng¡¯s fourth brother, yells and walks away. After half an hour, he has grown bored from looking at the blank stone. ¡°I¡¯d rather be training my Clashing Fists than watching Feng¡¯s starless Heavenly Mirror Stone!¡±


    As Li Kwok walks to his own corner of the courtyard, the other brothers and Lord Wen look at Li Feng¡¯s Heavenly Mirror Stone one last time. ¡°Useless, like always,¡± Lord Wen mutters, and returns to the inside of the estate.


    ¡°Not even a single star,¡± Li Shen says, walking to his own corner of the courtyard.


    ¡°Even I got 44,¡± Li Yuen says, following Lord Wen into the estate.


    ¡°How can trash like this be our brother?¡± Li Ming asks the air, and goes with Li Chen to a corner of the courtyard.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m ashamed to be sharing the blood of someone so worthless,¡± Li Chen says, remembering his own 47 stars which appeared the day of his Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual.

 Chapter Seven

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Seven</h1>


    After failing to obtain even a single level of cultivation, Li Feng walks to his room in the estate. It¡¯s located in the far corner of the south wing, the furthest bedroom from any of his brothers¡¯ or his father¡¯s, and Lam Bai intercepts him along the way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel back, young master. Even if you can¡¯t become a cultivator, you can still be a scholar worthy of the emperor¡¯s palace,¡± Lam Bai says, trying to encourage Li Feng. From her youthful days, she can remember some young men who killed themselves when they were the only member of their family to not receive any cultivation after their Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Li Feng says, arriving at his room. ¡°Please, let me have a few minutes to myself,¡± He says, and partially enters his room.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lam Bai says, and bows. ¡®Poor young master, how¡¯ll he cope?¡¯


    ¡°Bai?¡± Li Feng says, now only poking his head out the door.


    ¡°Yes, young master?¡± Lam Bai lifts her head and asks.


    ¡°For tonight¡¯s dinner, can you bring me an extra portion of roasted duck?¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Lam Bai says, this time smiling. Li Feng closes the door behind him, and Lam Bai walks away.


    Now alone, Li Feng takes off his tunic and shoes and lays in his bed. ¡®I wasn¡¯t able to obtain their power, but I¡¯ll still defeat them,¡¯ He thinks, accepting that he¡¯s unable to utilize the power which people call cultivation. Nonetheless, Li Feng is determined to avenge his kingdom.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Li Feng lived the first five years of his new life rather passively. He made special effort to not stand out much, except for being called trash, and has nothing beside his worthlessness for people to identify him with. However, while members of the estate mock Li Feng behind his back and to his face, he harbors a power far greater than even the heights he achieved in his previous life.


    As any magician would know, a young mage¡¯s training is best done when they are young. From the age of 3-years to 13-years of age was commonly referred to as the best period for growth, but that was only because nobody had ever trained their magic before their third birthday.


    For Li Feng, a reincarnated individual, he could train immediately following his birth. Magical spirit energy, mana, which a magician uses to their spells, must be cycled through the body constantly to allow both a larger pool for the energy and stronger power. With a growing body, cycling the mana is both easier and more effective. For the first three years of his new life, Li Feng expanded his mana more than he did in his entire previous life!


    Even though Li Feng holds the power to destroy a legion of soldiers, he¡¯d be helpless against cultivators of the Spirit or Ascendant stages. Spirit cultivators can add elemental effects to their blows, making them almost on par with Li Feng. Ascendant cultivators have the same power as a hundred Spirit cultivators of the same level, meaning just one could kill Li Feng in an instant.


    Because of these factors, Li Feng cannot seek out his revenge just yet. Instead, he must sit in his room and consolidate his mana. Maybe not for another eight years, when he ages past the optimal time for magical growth, but Li Feng will one day be something people fear. What type of revenge is Li Feng looking for? Complete dominance, of course. To be the next Heavenly Ascended Emperor; that¡¯s his goal!

 Chapter Eight

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Eight</h1>


    That night, Lord Wen lays on his bed while being attended to by a female friend. He doesn¡¯t put any effort into their act, remaining on the receiving end for the entire night.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Wen?¡± The female friend asks, looking at where her body is connected to Lord Wen.


    ¡°It¡¯s my youngest son,¡± Lord Wen says, looking at the ceiling.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± The female friend asks and lets herself fall on Lord Wen¡¯s chest. While her breasts are pressed into Lord Wen¡¯s chest, she stares at his eyes, noticing them in deep thought.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t show any ability to cultivate, not even the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual,¡± Lord Wen says and sighs. ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I could until this moment to prepare him, but he¡¯s still behind even his cousins.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°If that didn¡¯t awake his cultivation, what will?¡± The female friend asks and rolls to the side. ¡°The Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual has been in place for over ten thousand years. It¡¯s the only proven way to awaken dormant cultivation in a young cultivator.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what makes this so difficult,¡± Lord Wen says. ¡°If little Feng cannot cultivate, he will have no place among my household.¡±


    ¡°How about the upcoming Demonic Beasts Parade? If an ¡®accident¡¯ happens during the parade, your son¡¯s cultivation might be forced to awaken. It¡¯s the same principle as the Boiling Cauldron of Nine Transformations ritual, but more dangerous,¡± The female friend suggests.


    ¡°That¡¯s genius,¡± Lord Wen says, placing his body on top of his female friend¡¯s. ¡°Allow me to reward you.¡±

 Chapter Nine

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Nine</h1>


    A few weeks later, Lam Bai is once again trying to locate Li Feng inside the estate. Li Feng, ever since hearing about the parade of demonic monsters, has been reluctant to show himself. Today is finally the day of the parade, and Lam Bai has enlisted six other servants to help find Li Feng.


    Finally, after hours of searching, Li Feng is found under the bed in a guestroom.


    ¡°Young master, the lord has insisted that you attend the parade,¡± Lam Bai says, pulling Li Feng by the feet out from under the bed. ¡°You¡¯ll disappoint him if you don¡¯t go!¡±


    ¡°I already disappoint him, what does a little more disappointment matter?¡± Li Feng asks, grabbing onto the feet of the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll disappoint me, too,¡± Lam Bai says and manages to pulled Li Feng out, lifting him into the air by his ankles.


    After a few seconds of thinking, Li Feng speaks, ¡°I need to return to my room to change.¡±


    Lam Bai escorts Li Feng to his room, not allowing him to get out of an arm¡¯s reach. At his room, Lam Bai waits outside to give Li Feng privacy while he changes. From his closet, Li Feng selects a white tunic to wear, and swaps it for the nightwear he¡¯s wearing. The change is fast, and soon Li Feng is ready to put on his shoes and leave his room. Before leaving the estate, Li Feng gets a meat skewer as a snack from a kitchen.


    Unlike the last time they had to go somewhere in the city, Li Feng and Lam Bai do not get a rickshaw. Instead, they walk to the center of the city, the street where the parade will be passing through. There are thousands of people walking the streets of Shijiang today, but it¡¯s not more than an ordinary day.


    After two hours of walking, Li Feng and Lam Bai arrive at the city¡¯s center street, which runs north to south. There are dozens of people in Li Feng¡¯s way, preventing him from seeing the parade, but Lam Bai splits the crowd by announcing the family she works for.


    ¡°The young master Li Feng of the Li family of cultivators wishes to view the parade!¡± Lam Bai shouts, and several people look in her direction. ¡°Make way for the young master!¡±


    Since the Li family is so influential in the city, everyone in Lam Bai¡¯s way parts for her and Li Feng. ¡®This is crazy,¡¯ Li Feng can¡¯t help but think, seeing how a crowd of people were split by the announcement of which family he came from. With a path clear for them, Li Feng and Lam Bai walk to the street for a better view.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long for the parade to arrive,¡± Lam Bai says, looking north for the start of the parade. The street is long and wide, but she can¡¯t see any of the wagons which will soon be carrying caged demonic beasts down the street.


    Li Feng waits, bored, for the parade to start. Almost half an hour later, cheers erupt from the north. Barely visible for Lam Bai, and not at all for Li Feng, the first few wagons start down the street. There are two wagons in the lead, followed by one wagon containing a cage which nearly takes up the entire street.


    ¡°Can you see them, young master?¡± Lam Bai shouts to ask Li Feng. The cheers from the crowd are loud, making it hard for Li Feng to hear her.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re still too far,¡± Li Feng says, not giving serious effort to see the beasts. After all, Li Feng expects the demonic beasts to be something he¡¯s seen in his past life, something he¡¯s killed dozens if not hundreds of.


    ¡°They¡¯re almost here!¡± Lam Bai pats Li Feng on the shoulders, and the cages become visible for him. Inside the two smaller cages are tigers with manes made from flames. In the larger cage behind them, there¡¯s an elephant creature with a stone body. The tigers have their snouts bound shut and their legs chained to the floor of the cage. The elephant has its legs in much larger chains, but is similarly bound to the cage¡¯s floor.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Li Feng questions, looking at the strange monsters. In his past life, he hadn¡¯t seen these beasts even once.


    ¡°It¡¯s two Fire Tigers and Stone Behemoth! What a rare sight!¡± Lam Bai tries to explain. ¡°Look that¡¯s next!¡±


    Following the Stone Behemoth is a snake with wings. The snake¡¯s body is only about ten feet long, but the wings are twice that size and must be tied to the cage¡¯s walls. Next to the snake are various reptiles, most of them with huge horns and fangs. A particularly nasty looking lizard, identified by Lam Bai as a Draconic Newt, has red scales the size of buckler shields covering its body.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Suddenly, someone screams from the other side of the parade. Li Feng and Lam Bai look to see what happened, by they can only see people feeling from the general direction.


    ¡°Maybe we should,¡± Lam Bai says, but is cut off by the cage of the Draconic Newt being broken. The Draconic Newt¡¯s tail, though tied to the bars of the cage, has broken the wooden bindings like the lizard next to it. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    Lam Bai tries to pick up Li Feng and run, since she knows Li Feng won¡¯t be able to move as fast as her, a 13-Mortal cultivator, but she is knocked down by a gust of wind from a winged creature above them. The winged looks like a lion, but with golden wings and teeth the size of short swords. The winged lion bites down at the crowd, but is repelled by several cultivators punching it in the mouth.


    Suddenly, Lam Bai notices that Li Feng is still standing. ¡®He¡¯s too stunned to move!¡¯ She thinks and lunges to pull Li Feng down. Mesmerized by the sight of the strangely foreign creature, Li Feng doesn¡¯t even try to dodge its mouth closing in on him.

 Chapter Ten

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Ten</h1>


    Lam Bai panics, thinking Li Feng is about to be killed, and shuts her eyes as tight as they can get. For the past five years, she¡¯s been the only one in Lord Wen¡¯s estate who cared for Li Feng, even the cooks would prevent him getting a meal if she didn¡¯t step in. Though they¡¯ve had their ups and downs, she¡¯s loved him like her own son for half a decade.


    ¡°As expected of the young master of the Li family!¡± Someone shouts, and Lam Bai opens her eyes. Instead of Li Feng having been devoured by the winged lion, a huge spike of black metal as erupted from Li Feng¡¯s outstretched palm, piercing the winged lion¡¯s skull. The attack surely would have killed Li Feng if it connected, but it didn¡¯t!


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Lam Bai shouts at Li Feng and stands, and attempts to pick him up. The metal spike, which is not physically attached to Li Feng¡¯s palm, stays cemented in the winged lion¡¯s skull as he is lifted away.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Yes, back to the estate,¡± Li Feng says, not even attempting to break free from Lam Bai. He didn¡¯t noticed his life was in danger until the last moment, at which point he used ground magic to make a steel spike pierce the attacking monster.


    While Li Feng and Lam Bai flee, additional cultivators are called to the scene to subjugate the escaped demonic beasts. Far away, on a distant rooftop, a man completely covered in block clothes uses the Heavenly Pathway Talking technique to send a message to Lord Wen.


    ¡°Something happened. It looked like something a Spirit stage cultivator would produce,¡± The cloaked figures says.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Lord Wen asks the man, speaking out the window of his third-floor bedroom at his estate.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see it clearly, but it looked like a palm strike with a stone elemental effect, creating a huge spike to pierce the Golden Winged Lion¡¯s skull,¡± The cloaked man describes Li Feng¡¯s short fight to Lord Wen, and is met by silence for several seconds.


    ¡°Your payment will be delivered to the usual location,¡± Lord Wen says and cuts the connection, closing his bedroom window shutters.

 Chapter Eleven

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Eleven</h1>


    After returning to the estate, Li Feng retreats to his bedroom, but is followed in by Lam Bai. Li Feng¡¯s tunic a few splotches of blood from the winged lion on it, but he can simply change tunics and leave the dirty one for a servant to clean. However, this is not the reason Lam Bai has followed Li Feng into his room.


    ¡°What did you do, back there?¡± Lam Bai asks, referring to Li Feng¡¯s defense against the winged lion.


    ¡°Back there?¡± Li Feng asks, pointing to the corner of his room. ¡°It¡¯s just a corner; I usually don¡¯t do anything there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, young master,¡± Lam Bai says, holding back the urge to hit Li Feng on the noggin. ¡°With the Golden Winged Lion, at the Demonic Beasts Parade.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Li Feng says, slowly thinking about what to say next. ¡°Can I have some privacy, to change my clothes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll turn away,¡± Lam Bai turns to face the book, not letting Li Feng escape from the window unnoticed. ¡°Tell me while you change.¡±


    Li Feng clicks high tongue and undresses, kicking his shoes next to the door. ¡°I simply defended myself against a loose animal.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t simply anything!¡± Lam Bai says, turning to face Li Feng, but gets an eyefull of pearly white cheeks and turns around again. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your father training in the courtyard. The peasants at the parade might not have known, but I know you can¡¯t do that with even Spirit stage cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Can you keep a secret, Bai?¡± Li Feng asks, taking a clean white tunic from his closet.


    ¡°Of course, young master,¡± Lam Bai replies, still facing the door.


    ¡°I-¡± Li Feng begins, but is cut off by the door to the room bursting open, hitting Lam Bai and throwing her to the side.


    ¡°Feng, what was¡­¡± Lord Wen trails off, seeing his undressed son look to his left. Lord Wen steps forward and closes the door, and only then sees Lam Bai laying on the floor. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­ I shouldn¡¯t¡­ have stood there¡­¡± Lam Bai says, catching her breath on the floor. She¡¯s bruised, but nothing is seriously hurt.


    ¡°Anyway, Feng, what was that ability you used during the Demonic Beasts Parade?¡± Lord Wen asks, shifting his attention to Li Feng, who is quickly pulling on the fresh tunic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just happened naturally,¡± Li Feng says, using the fabricated lie he was about to tell Lam Bai. Once the tunic is on, Li Feng goes to help Lam Bai.


    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll just have to find out!¡± Lord Wen announces, and picks up Li Feng by the back of his tunic and throws him on the bed. ¡°Until you can master that ability of yours, you must search the empire for enlightenment! You have one week to prepare your things, and don¡¯t come back until you¡¯ve mastered your ability!¡±


    Lord Wen then exits the room and closes the door behind him. Left inside the room is a bewildered Li Feng and a sore Lam Bai.

 Chapter Twelve

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twelve</h1>


    Exactly one week later, Li Feng stands outside his family¡¯s estate with Lam Bai. Nobody is there to see them off, but some servants came to say goodbye to Lam Bai before she left. None of Li Feng¡¯s brothers were sad to see him leave. On the contrary, they were glad. The gladness is shared with Li Feng, who views his being kicked out as an invitation to go on a vacation.


    Among their luggage is three gray tunics and two pairs of shoes for Li Feng, and two servant uniforms and one pair of shoes for Lam Bai. Also, hidden between the clothes is a locked box with twenty thousand coins in it, Lam Bai keeping the key hidden on her person. In addition, Li Feng and Lam Bai both have an identification card, which identifies Li Feng as a child of the Li family in Shijiang, and Lam Bai as his servant.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Lam Bai calls for a passing rickshaw, and both of them get in. In Lam Bai¡¯s pocket is six hundred coins so she doesn¡¯t have to open the locked box until they reach a safe location.


    The rickshaw takes Li Feng and Lam Bai to the north end of the city, not too far away, and they exchange the rickshaw for a wagon. The wagon will take them to the city of Quanchang, a heavily industrial city located between two mountains. Because of the location, iron and coal are frequent exports of the city. There are not many Mortal, Spirit, or Ascendant stage cultivators there, but the number of Body stage cultivators is far greater than Shijiang.


    For three weeks, Li Feng and Lam Bai travel along the road leading to Quanchang, the first destination in Li Feng¡¯s quest for enlightenment.

 Chapter Thirteen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirteen</h1>


    The city of Quanchang in small, but only if looked at solely from above ground. If the underground portions are taken into account, then the overall size is about equal to the imperial capital. Mines litter the sides of the two mountains bordering Quanchang, and many people make their homes inside rented sections of tunnel. If an outside, with any knowledge of Quanchang, look in, they¡¯d say it resembles a prison more than a city.


    At the gates of the city, Li Feng and Lam Bai¡¯s wagon is stopped. A guard takes the identification cards from them and the driver, then investigates them. After concluding they¡¯re real, the guard gives the cards back, and the wagon starts to move again. Once inside the gate, Li Feng and Lam Bai get off. Lam Bai pays and carries the luggage, looking for a place to stay the night.


    ¡°We need to find a hotel or inn first,¡± Lam Bai tells Li Feng as they walk through the crowded streets. People constantly bump into Lam Bai, half of them pickpockets, but the luggage is firmly secured and the key to the strongbox hidden. All attempts to free Lam Bai of her possessions are futile.


    ¡°I want somewhere above ground,¡± Li Feng says, looking around like Lam Bai is.


    ¡°It¡¯s more expensive, but if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Lam Bai complies, and continues to look for a suitable place to stay. Eventually, Lam Bai sees the sign for a hotel on the other side of the street. Unlike in Shijiang, because Quanchang is so small, there are no carts or rickshaws in the streets, just people.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Li Feng and Lam Bai cross the street and enter the hotel. There is a sign at the entrance pointing left and right, the left side for patrons to the underground hotel, and the right side for those who want the aboveground hotel. Li Feng and Lam Bai turn right, and greet a woman sitting behind a counter.


    ¡°Hello, one room with two beds, please,¡± Lam Bai says, taking her identification card from her pocket. Seeing this, Li Feng takes out his card, too.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be two hundred coins per night,¡± The woman says, looking from Li Feng to Lam Bai.


    ¡°Two hundred?¡± Lam Bai asks, upset at the price. ¡°We need to stay a few days, but we don¡¯t have that many coins. Can you do one hundred?¡±


    ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t come looking for an aboveground hotel with only a hundred coin budget?¡± The desk woman asks. ¡°I can do 175 coins per night, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°If we leave a day or two early, the best we can do is 150 coins a night,¡± Lam Bai says, and places her hand on Li Feng¡¯s shoulder. Understanding the ruse, Li Feng pretends to be worried.


    ¡°Alright, 150 coins a night,¡± The desk woman says, and takes a key from under the desk. With it in her hand, she asks, ¡°How many nights will you be staying?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying for six days,¡± Lam Bai says and takes the coins from an inner pocket of her clothes to pay for the room. Nine hundred coins poorer and with the room key in her hand, Lam Bai walks with Li Feng to their room on the second floor.

 Chapter Fourteen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Fourteen</h1>


    Quanchang, through a heavily industrialized city, looks more like a mountain resort from the outside. All the buildings are made from the same wood, locally grown bubinga trees. Many buildings have windows, and stained glass is not allowed. Every building is between three and six stories high, getting taller as they get closer to the center of the city.


    The streets in Quanchang are wide enough for ten people to walk side by side, but no wagons or carriages are allowed outside turn-around areas located just inside the city gates. Because of the lack of wagons, materials must be transported by hand, which usually means employing a Body stage cultivator. There are no street vendors, and every shop must have a building to reside in and pay taxes on.


    The main attraction of Quanchang is the mines. The Chin family rules over Quanchang and the mines, and controls the surrounding six hundred miles. No mines beside the Quanchang Mine area allowed, meaning a huge monopoly is held by the Chin family. When a Body stage cultivator needs work, they head for Quanchang.


    In the center of Quanchang is a thirty foot wide pit which leads to the bottom of the mines. This pit proves sunlight, air circulation, and traffic for the mines. On the left side, three people at a time can ascend from the mines, and the right side can sustain three people going down. The stairs are set into the walls, and a tight webbing of chains prevents people from falling in. A large glass circle covers the majority of the pit, and the two entrances are topped with wooden buildings.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The wide pit is not the only entrance to the mines. Under every building in Quanchang, there is a stairway leading down. Since the area above ground is heavily restricted, most business also operate underground. At several locations, there are wide markets for merchants to sell their goods, untaxed by the Chin family.


    There are few residential areas in the above ground section of Quanchang, but the underground section houses a population of over two hundred thousand people. Most live in tiny, single-room apartments for ten coins a day. These apartments give them just enough room to sleep undisturbed by the miners around them or to bring back female company. For the residential areas above ground, apartments cost almost as much as a hotel room, and the houses cost more than a Body stage cultivator could earn in a lifetime. Usually, the houses remain in a family for hundreds of years before being sold.


    Because of how focused Quanchang is toward miners and the deep mines, it is usually called ¡®The Ant-Hill City¡¯ by those who wish to discredit. Whenever bandits or foreign armies attempt to sack the city, thousands of Body stage cultivators pour out of the mines to defend. Because the city can only be access from two ways, and each way can only have a hundred troops marching side by side, Quanchang is one of the easiest defended cities in the empire. Coupled with the enormous amount of iron they produce every year, they are a highly valued asset for the empire.

 Chapter Fifteen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Fifteen</h1>


    Li Feng and Lam Bai¡¯s room is about the same size as Li Feng¡¯s room at the family estate, except a little longer. On the left side of the room, from the entrance, there are two beds against the wall. Each bed has sheets and a pillow, washed, and a small table at the end. The table between the beds has a partially melted candle on it, the flame extinguished. At the far end of the room, there is a square window letting in light. On the right side of the room, there are two chests and two racks for hanging clothes.


    ¡°Thank you for playing along with me back there, young master,¡± Lam Bai closes the door behind them and bows, thanking Li Feng.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s no problem,¡± Li Feng says and places himself on the bed closest to the door. Since Lam Bai is carrying his luggage, he doesn¡¯t have anything to organize before he can lay down. ¡°Oh, and please, just call me Feng while we are staying here.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Lam Bai says and walks further into the room. She places Li Feng¡¯s luggage on the next opposite from his bed, then her own luggage on the chest opposite from her bed. ¡°The young master is the young master.¡±


    ¡°I never understood why you keep calling me ¡®young master¡¯,¡± Li Feng says. ¡°Neither my brothers nor the other servants do, at least when they think I can¡¯t hear them.¡±


    ¡°That might be so,¡± Lam Bai says, unpacking Li Feng¡¯s luggage first. ¡°But I won¡¯t let the other young masters or servants change the way I feel about you, young master.¡±


    ¡°But I so easily call you Bai, when the others would just say ¡®Servant¡¯. Li Feng says. ¡°I will start to feel bad if you don¡¯t call me by my given name, too.¡±


    ¡°How about, young master Feng?¡± Lam Bai asks, hanging Li Feng¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± Li Feng settles the issueand waits for Lam Bai to finish unpacking.

 Chapter Sixteen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Sixteen</h1>


    After unpacking their luggage, Lam Bai places the cases under the beds and hides the strongbox of coins behind them. If anyone broke into their room, they¡¯d probably search the chest of belongings first before looking elsewhere, and then they¡¯d be misled by the empty cases. Li Feng, wearing a gray tunic, and Lam Bai, wearing her standard servant clothes, are now ready to explore the city.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head out, Bai,¡± Li Feng says, feeling his stomach. ¡°I want to eat something before the sun sets.¡±


    ¡°Alright, young master Feng, let¡¯s head out,¡± Lam Bai agrees and follows Li Feng out the door of their room. She locks the door behind them and hides the key in her clothes along with the key to the strongbox and a few hundred coins.


    Li Feng leads the way down the wooden stairs and out of the hotel. Once in the street, Lam Bai leads the way, since her superior height allows for her to better spot a place to eat at. Most shops on the street are for either food or vanity items, and it doesn¡¯t take long for Lam Bai to find a suitable establishment for herself and Li Feng.


    Lam Bai enters first, and Li Feng follows her, never having lagged too far behind her while they walked. The establishment they enter is small, like a tea room. The floor has twelve tables spaced evenly around, and a stairway on the right side, leading up to the second floor and down to the underground floors. On the far end of the room, a door is labeled Staff Only and has a woman standing next to it. Next to the door, a sign says ¡®Seat Yourself¡¯, and Lam Bai obeys it.


    Li Feng and Lam Bai take the table against the left wall and two away from the door. Each table has four chairs around it, one on each side, and the pair sit opposite of each other. In the center of the dark wooden table is a bell, the only thing on the table, and Lam Bai rings it.


    At the sound of the ring, the woman standing next to the door at the back of the room closes in on Li Feng and Lam Bai¡¯s table. The woman swiftly moves around tables and chairs, arriving at her destination without hitting a single patron.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°What can I get y¡¯all, today?¡± The woman asks, bending slightly at the waist and looking at Lam Bai, assuming her to be Li Feng¡¯s parent.


    ¡°Young master, please,¡± Lam Bai says, gesturing to Li Feng with her open palm. The waitress looks at Li Feng and makes a mental note to treat the child as the leader of the table.


    ¡°I will have roast duck and keemun tea,¡± Li Feng says, looking up at the waitress.


    ¡°Excellent, and the lady?¡± The waitress asks, now looking at Lam Bai.


    ¡°Dumplings and jasmine tea,¡± Lam Bai says.


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll tell the chefs and get your tea,¡± The waitress says and hurries back to the door, disappearing behind it.


    For a few minutes, Li Feng listens to the conversations of people around him. When he was living in the Li estate, less than a month ago, Li Feng got all of his meals from the estate¡¯s chefs. With very few exceptions, Li Feng spent every day, all day long, at the estate. Only a few times did Li Feng go with Lam Bai to fetch some things from shops, but they wouldn¡¯t ever stop somewhere to eat.


    The restaurant is lively, reminding Li Feng of restaurants he visited in his previous life. However, instead of magicians dressed in flowing robes of vibrant colors, the patrons in this restaurant wore bland tunics to hide their enormous muscles. Even the waitress had a simple blue tunic, hardly a step up from the customers.


    The table behind Li Feng talks about a section of the mine under the city. Apparently, a large vein of iron was discovered recently, allowing the two miners to afford this meal. After months of living and eating underground, spending the day¡¯s payment above ground is an infrequent luxury.


    Most of the tables around Li Feng are discussing the same topics. The mines, recently discovered ore veins, their progress with cultivation, and the best whores available are frequently brought up. ¡®How crude,¡¯ Li Feng thinks, comparing it to how magicians would speak.


    If Li Feng was still in his previous life, and the cultivators hadn¡¯t destroyed his war-torn kingdom, he¡¯d probably be resting at an inn and talking to adventurers about local monsters that need subjugating.


    Li Feng knows a cultivator and a magician are very different, all the way down to their cores. A magician will constantly be looking for ways to advance himself in society or produce beneficial change in their community. A cultivator is, however, content to stay a poor miner for years while gradually increasing their cultivation. The difference is ambition, where a magician has it in excess and a cultivator has none.

 Chapter Seventeen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Seventeen</h1>


    Li Feng¡¯s black tea and Lam Bai¡¯s green tea arrives at the table, brought there by the same waitress from earlier, and they subconsciously sip on them until their food comes out later, by the same woman. Li Feng¡¯s tea is a little weak, probably the waitress considering his age, but he likes it strong. Lam Bai¡¯s tea is aromatic, gently complementing her womanly charm.


    While waiting for their food, Lam Bai is approached by a young man, in his upper twenties, sporting a thick mustache. ¡°Is this seat taken?¡± The man says, placing his hands on the seat between Li Feng and Lam Bai that¡¯s facing the left wall.


    ¡°No, but,¡± Lam Bai says, but can¡¯t speak anymore before the man talks over her.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I sit here, then,¡± He says, and pulls the chair out and sits in it. Once sat, the man places his left elbow on the table and rests his head in his left hand, looking at Lam Bai.


    ¡°Young master?¡± Lam Bai asks Li Feng, hoping he¡¯ll do something.


    ¡°Leave our table, vagrant,¡± Li Feng says, irritating the man.


    ¡°Young master?¡± The man questions, removing his elbow from the table and looking at Li Feng. ¡°Is she your servant? I¡¯ll buy her contract, fifty thousand coins.¡±


    ¡°My servant¡¯s contract is worth much more than fifty thousand coins,¡± Li Feng says, scoffing at the man. ¡°At least make an offer worthy of the time it takes to decline it.¡±


    The clicks his tongue, looking down at Li Feng. ¡°How does a brat like you get off on not showing your elder any respect?¡± The man asks, then turns back to Lam Bai with his elbow on the table, blocking Li Feng. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t enjoy working for this kid? I¡¯ll make sure you have a job befitting your¡­ qualities.¡±


    ¡°The young master wishes for you to leave the table,¡± Lam Bai calmly says and takes her identification card from her pocket, showing it to the man. ¡°You better leave, if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The identification card has very crude information, sometimes excluding certain traits from certain cards, but will at least have the holder¡¯s name. In Lam Bai¡¯s case, her identification card has her name, her date of birth, and the family she works for. Even in Quanchang, the Li family of Shijiang is not unknown. For an elite like the man harassing Lam Bai, knowing the surrounding influential families is essential. How could he not know the strength of the Li family?


    ¡°Oh, well, if you say that,¡± The man says, barely preventing himself from stuttering. ¡°I¡¯ll be returning to my table.¡±


    The man stands and walks across the room, sitting at the table behind and to the right of Li Feng and Lam Bai¡¯s table. Li Feng watches the man the entire time, eying him as he sits down and speaks softly to his table mates.


    However, the man¡¯s attempt at secrecy is futile; one of Li Feng¡¯s magic spells allows him to hear things from a distance. With the spell, Li Feng creates a tunnel of rigid air from his ear to where the man is speaking, allowing the vibrations to travel much closer to him.


    ¡°You were right; the kid¡¯s from the Li family in Shijiang,¡± The man says, speaking quietly.


    ¡°Does that mean we can¡¯t touch them?¡± A second man at the table asks.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± The first man replies. ¡°Rumor has it, the family head, Lord Wen, is a 86-Spirit cultivator.¡±


    ¡°That strong?! We wouldn¡¯t last a second against someone like that,¡± The second man says.


    ¡°Yep, yep,¡± The last man at the table agrees. Before Li Feng can follow the conversation any further, his spell is broken by the waitress walking through it.


    ¡°Roasted duck for you,¡± The waitress says, taking a plate with her right hand from a large serving tray in her left hand and placing it in front of Li Feng. ¡°And dumplings for you. Anything else I can get you?¡± The waitress asks, lifting the serving tray over her head after giving Lam Bai her food.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Li Feng says, his attention slipping from the man to the roasted duck in front of him.


    ¡°We¡¯re all good,¡± Lam Bai says and picks up the fork on her plate.


    The waitress leaves, and Li Feng begins eating his food, slightly faster than Lam Bai. The roasted duck is sliced thin and piled high on Li Feng¡¯s plate, and the crisp skin breaks off into crackling pieces as Li Feng chews on it. The oily meat, roasted to perfection, tastes greasy and delicious.


    ¡®Much better than at the estate,¡¯ Li Feng thinks, swallowing his first bite of the meal.

 Chapter Eighteen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Eighteen</h1>


    After the meal, Lam Bai pays 140 coins for everything, and she leaves with Li Feng. They walk a few minutes to arrive back at the hotel, returning to their room, together.


    Li Feng and Lam Bai fetch their night clothes from their room, then walk back to the first floor. Instead of more rooms on the first floor of the hotel, there is a shared bathing area. A wooden partition separates the men from the women, and Li Feng goes alone to the men¡¯s side. After undressing, Li Feng places his clothes in a cubby storage box labeled with his room number, and enters the bath.


    The bath is warm and spacious, much larger than the bath at the estate, but it¡¯s shared by two other men. Both are hairy and in their lower twenties, heavily muscular and relaxing at the edge of the water. Steam gently rises from the surface of the water, and a mild soap helps clean Li Feng¡¯s body. Compared to at the estate, where Li Feng can use water magic to give himself a shower, the shared bath is less effective at cleaning.


    A few minutes later, Li Feng exits the bath and returns to his room. The two men already in the bath are probably miners, Li Feng thinks, and he abandons the hope that they¡¯ll leave soon. Most likely, they haven¡¯t gotten a hot bath in weeks.


    Not entirely clean, Li Feng lets himself drip dry before patting himself dry with his tunic and putting on his night clothes. He is still a little wet, but he¡¯s as dry as he can get without a dedicated towel and another ten minutes. Now carrying dirty clothes, Li Feng returns to his room. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In the women¡¯s bath, Lam Bai enjoys being the only one there. Females are not common as quests in Quanchang, and the women¡¯s side of the bath is less than a third the size of the men¡¯s side. However, this not entirely a bad thing. The soap is more concentrated and the water is cleaner on the women¡¯s side of the bath.


    After a long bath, Lam Bai returns to the room to find Li Feng already asleep in his bed. Lam Bai reflects on the events of that day, and finally, her mind settles on what Li Feng said to the man trying to woo her. ¡®Leave our table, vagrant,¡¯ Li Feng had spoken, not needing even a full second to think of what to say.


    Lam Bai didn¡¯t think Li Feng could be so cold to someone. Usually, Li Feng would say something to help the offender figure out what it was that they did wrong, but, this time, Li Feng directly told the man to leave, and added an insult at the end! Li Feng¡¯s actions were just too out of character!


    ¡°You need to act faster next time,¡± Li Feng opens his eyes and says. ¡°The next time you want someone to leave, tell them, immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master Feng!¡± Lam Bai dutifully says.


    ¡°Just Feng is fine¡­¡± Li Feng mumbles and closes his eyes again.


    ¡°Good night, young master Feng,¡± Lam Bai says and walks to her own bed. She gets in, her head pointing to Li Feng, and falls asleep after a few minutes.

 Chapter Nineteen

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Nineteen</h1>


    Once, long ago, a man from a prominent cultivation family couldn¡¯t use cultivation. His father had obtained the rank of 6-Ascendant by the age of thirty, and all of his brothers had at least gotten to the Body stage before their tenth birthday.


    However, the case concerning Liao Dong was very strange. In his case, he only had a rank of 17-Mortal at the age of five years old, and showed no signs of improving. Liao Dong trained with his family every day, but never improved his cultivation more than one or two levels a year. Finally, at the age of ten years old, Liao Dong had only achieved a rank of 24-Mortal.


    The head of the house was furious. ¡°How could my son be unable to cultivate?!¡± The man would frequently scream and yell. This continued for many years, until a war broke out with a neighboring kingdom. The head of the house and all his children were conscripted in the army, including Liao Dong.


    Knowing Liao Dong would not survive if caught between two cultivators, the head issued him an unbreakable command, ¡°Liao Dong, do not fight in this war. You must run until peace has been reached. If the army finds you, you won¡¯t survive a single battle. Run, and never come back to my home or this city,¡± The head told his son.


    So, when recruitment officers came to the Liao household, Liao Dong was nowhere to be found. The soldiers had many more houses to take able bodies from, so they let the missing person pass. They knew the rumors that the youngest son of the Liao family had no talent for cultivation, so they decided him being missing as a minor loss.


    Over the next twenty years, the members of the Liao family, save for Liao Dong, fought with their kingdom¡¯s army against the neighboring kingdom. One brother died, but the other three remained alive. Though the war had not yet ended, the family head and three of his children could return home.


    A few months after the end of the war, a masked stranger came upon the Liao household. ¡°Dong?¡± The family head asked, recognizing his youngest son¡¯s aura.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Yes, father. It is me,¡± Liao Dong replied, hugging his father.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The head asked, pulling back from his son. ¡°The war has not yet ended.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no concern for me,¡± Liao Dong said, and stuck his fist out into the yard. ¡°Watch this.¡±


    Liao Dong pulled back his fight and punched the air, causing a boulder in the yard to explode into hundreds of pieces.


    ¡°Incredible!¡± The head shouted, seeing the exploding boulder. The boulder had survived in his yard for decades. Even though the head or any of the sons could move it, the head kept it around as a decoration. For Liao Dong to break it without even touching it was too incredible.


    From then on, Liao Dong went to help out in the ongoing war, eventually becoming a major player in it. Though his cultivation stayed in the Mortal stage, his abilities exceeded even those an Ascendant stage cultivator could produce.


    Thousands of years later, Liao Dong¡¯s story was found in a certain library in a certain city. The young man reading it thought to the contents to be too outrageous to be fact. ¡®There¡¯s no way a vacation would cause a man to become something greater than a cultivator,¡¯ A young Li Wen thought, putting the book back on the shelf after finishing it.


    Except, twenty years later, Li Wen came back to the library and took the same book out. This time, he felt himself in a very similar situation to the father in the story. ¡®How did it work?¡¯ Lord Wen questioned, looking for a clue on how to increase his youngest son¡¯s cultivation.


    When the incident at the Demonic Beasts Parade happened, Lord Wen felt enlightenment. He had orchestrated the beasts escaping, but he couldn¡¯t go around causing disasters in his city every day until Li Feng unlocked his special ability. Until Li Feng could use the mysterious power he exhibited on the day of the Demonic Beasts Parade, he¡¯d have to explore the empire for enlightenment.


    Lord Wen knew all too well that a cultivator could stay in one city their entire life and live happily. If Li Feng stayed in Shijiang, he¡¯d likely never stumble upon a catastrophe with the power to unlock his ability.


    So, Lord Wen sent his youngest son to travel the empire. Li Feng is much younger than Liao Dong from the story, so Lord Wen sent Li Feng¡¯s favorite servant to go with him, but the theory still stands. Making Li Feng confront the evil of the world is Lord Wen¡¯s plan, and where better to start than the Ant-Hill city, where under the peaceful surface masquerades more villainy than any other city in the empire.

 Chapter Twenty

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty</h1>


    In the morning, Li Feng puts on a clean gray tunic and lays in bed for a few more minutes. The sunlight shines dimly through the window at the end of his room and it helps illuminate things enough to where Li Feng doesn¡¯t need to light the candle to see. A few minutes later, Lam Bai wakes up, too, and changes into her servant uniform. For a while, she stares at Li Feng laying in his bed.


    ¡°If young master Feng is ready to go somewhere, I am ready too,¡± Lam Bai says, patiently waiting for Li Feng to make the first move.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Li Feng says and sits on the side of his bed. ¡°But what are we going to do, today?¡±


    ¡°Over the next five days, we¡¯re going to explore everything Quanchang has to offer,¡± Lam Bai says, walks to stand in front of Li Feng. ¡°Today, we should visit the Chen family and give them our greetings.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s get going,¡± Li Feng says, and pushes off the bed. He slips on his shoes and walks out the door, followed closely by Lam Bai.


    Once out of the hotel, Lam Bai takes the lead and walks with Li Feng to the west side of the city. The south and north sides of the city are where the city gates are at, and the estate of the Chen family is located on the west side of the city. Everything inside Quanchang is tightly packed, but the Chen estate doesn¡¯t adhere to the same rules as the other properties. Since they own the city, they can have a wide yard filled with thick vegetation.


    It takes half an hour for Li Feng and Lam Bai to arrive at the gates of the Chen estate. Like the city itself, the Chen estate is bordered by a thick wooden wall and guarded at the gate by four cultivators in the high Body levels. Each guard is wearing a blue tunic and staring at either Li Feng or Lam Bai.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Hello, we come from the Li family in Shijiang, and we seek an audience with a Chen family representative,¡± Lam Bai says and takes her identification card from her pocket.


    A guard steps forward to take the card, but they are all silent. After a few seconds, the guard looks at Li Feng, and he takes his identification card from his pocket to hand to the guard. After he¡¯s done looking at both identification cards, the guard hands them back to their respective party. ¡°Follow me,¡± The guard says, and opens the gate.


    The guard leads Li Feng and Lam Bai inside the estate¡¯s front courtyard. Unlike the Li estate in Shijiang, which has the courtyard in the center of the four buildings, the Chen estate has their courtyard between three buildings. Though the size of the Chen estate is smaller than the Li estate, a second estate on the east side of the city is used for housing quests, effectively doubling the size of the Chen estate.


    Along the path leading to the main building of the estate, Li Feng and Lam Bai pass several cultivators practicing. The Chen family is not a family of cultivators, but their immense fortune allows them to spend their time however they please. Most members of the family cultivate to pass the time, but they are only barely at the beginning levels of the Body stage.


    At the door to the main building, the guard instructs Li Feng and Lam Bai to wait behind as he enters. A few minutes later, the guard returns with another man leading the way.


    ¡°Welcome to my family¡¯s estate,¡± The leading man says, holding out his hand for Li Feng to shake. Meanwhile, the guard passes Li Feng and Lam Bai, returning to his post at the gate. Li Feng shakes the man¡¯s hand, then he shakes Lam Bai¡¯s hand. ¡°My name is Chen Yan, second son of the family head.¡±


    ¡°I am Li Feng, sixth son of the family head,¡± Li Feng says, introducing himself.


    ¡°And I am Lam Bai, servant to the young master,¡± Lam Bai says, bowing slightly.


    ¡°Please, come in; let me get you a cup of tea,¡± Chen Yan says, holding the door open for Li Feng and Lam Bai.

 Chapter Twenty-One

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-One</h1>


    Inside the Chen estate, Li Feng and Lam Bai sit next to each other on a luxury sofa. In front of them is a coffee table, and on the other side of it are three cushioned chairs. The walls of the room are lavishly decorated with silver and gold, likely from the very mines below the city. In a glass case on the wall, Li Feng recognizes an object from his past.


    Magic makes every aspect of life simplier, and enchanting allows those without affinity for magic to enjoy some of the same benefits. For miners, pickaxes with enchanted heads can be made, allowing the wielder to strike through bedrock with ease. The particular pickaxe on the wall of the Chen estate is enchanted with melting magic, allowing it to melt stone it comes into contact with.


    ¡°Two yellow teas!¡± Chen Yan announces, coming through the door to the kitchen in front of Li Feng and Lam Bai. He¡¯s carrying two cups in one hand and one in the other hand, gracefully walking to where Li Feng and Lambai are sat. ¡°Here you are,¡± He says, handing the first cup to Li Feng, then hands the second cup to Lam Bai. With the third cup, Chen Yan sits in the chair in the middle of the three opposite from Li Feng and Lam Bai.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Li Feng judges the tea after taking a sip. It¡¯s hot, but has a wonderfully mellow flavor.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy it,¡± Chen Yan says, placing his own cup on the coffee table. ¡°The other members of my family might find it silly, but I take great pride in my ability to fashion a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the young master¡¯s father would enjoy this, too,¡± Lam Bai says, already having drank half her cup.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve had our tea, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Chen Yan asks, laying back in his chair. Li Feng takes a large sip from his tea, then sets it on the coffee table and leans back on the sofa.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°My servant and I have come here to sightsee,¡± Li Feng says. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen so far, you have quite the impressive city.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad you think so,¡± Chen Yan says and smiles more heavily. ¡°Please, drink up.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any suggestions for the young master?¡± Lam Bai asks Chen Yan, now finished with her cup of tea.


    ¡°First, let me get you another cup of tea,¡± Chen Yan says, holding out his hands for Li Feng and Lam Bai. Li Feng quickly finishes his cup and hands it to Chen Yan, and Lam Bai holds on to her¡¯s.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Lam Bai says, secretly wanting more but trying to be polite.


    ¡°I insist,¡± Chen Yan says. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have to give you my own cup.¡±


    Settled, Lam Bai hands off her empty cup, and Chen Yan returns to the kitchen. ¡°He¡¯s a very gracious host,¡± Lam Bai comments, and Chen Yan quickly returns will two full cups of tea. Li Feng and Lam Bai take their cups back, and Chen Yan sits down in his chair.


    ¡°Recommendations,¡± Chen Yan says, thinking. ¡°I¡¯d suggest the aquarium, first. Here in Quanchang, so far from the ocean, many of our miners haven¡¯t seen a fish in years! We try to keep the aquarium stocked with fish from all across the empire, and we¡¯ve recently acquired an octopus.¡±


    ¡°After that,¡± Chen Yan continues. ¡°Head to the museum across the street. There, we have examples from almost a hundred types of ores and minerals. We also have an extensive collection of gems and crystals.¡±


    ¡°That sounds very entertaining,¡± Li Feng says, almost finished with the second cup of tea.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± Chen Yan says. ¡°I guarantee it.¡±


    After finishing their cups of tea, Li Feng and Lam Bai decline a third cup and leave the estate. Chen Yan sees them out of the gate, giving them directions to the aquarium and museum. Meanwhile, Chen Yan¡¯s cup of tea remains on the coffee table, untouched.

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Two</h1>


    The street with the aquarium and museum on it is located in the northwest quadrant of the city, less than thirty minutes walking distance from the Chen estate. Once there, Li Feng and Lam Bai ignore the other attractions of the street, mostly brothels, and enter the aquarium first.


    Inside the aquarium, a man is talking to a woman sitting behind a counter. The man is tall and muscular, and very angry.


    ¡°I just want to look at some fish!¡± The man yells at the woman. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat any, just look at ¡®em!¡±


    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s three hundred coins or no admission!¡± The woman yells back. ¡°If you can¡¯t pay, scram!¡±


    ¡°I can pay, fifty coins!¡± The man yells, holding up a fifty coin piece in his hand. ¡°Worth more than enough to just look at some stupid fish!¡±


    ¡°Go buy a cheap whore, instead,¡± The woman scoffs at the money. ¡°Get out of the way, I¡¯ve got more customers.¡±


    ¡°Bah!¡± The man shouts and turns around. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later!¡±


    The man leaves the aquarium, and Li Feng and Lam Bai step toward the counter. ¡°Just the young master and I,¡± Lam Bai says.


    ¡°It¡¯s three hundred coins per person,¡± The woman says, not changing her attitude toward the price at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little too expensive for our tastes,¡± Lam Bai says, leaning on the counter. ¡°Chen Yan personally told us about this aquarium. Would 150 coins for each of us be fine?¡±


    ¡°Guests of the Chen family?¡± The woman asks. ¡°Where¡¯s your identification cards?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s mine, and this is the young master I¡¯m serving,¡± Lam Bai says, and shows her identification card to the woman behind the counter.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    After a few seconds of looking at the card, the woman hands it back to Lam Bai and speaks. ¡°Alright, two hundred coins for each of you, but that¡¯s the lowest I¡¯ll do,¡± She says as Lam Bai takes the identification card back.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fine,¡± Lam Bai says and takes four hundred coins from her pocket and places them on the counter.


    ¡°Welcome to the aquarium,¡± The woman says, taking the coins and depositing them under the counter. ¡°We have tanks on the second and third floors, and skeletons on the fourth floor. Please enjoy yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lam Bai says, and walks with Li Feng past the counter.


    Behind the counter is a wall, and on the other side of that is a staircase leading up. There are two doors behind the staircase, but they¡¯re both labeled Staff Only like in the restaurant. Li Feng and Lam Bai walk up the stairs, and enter a room with tanks filled with fish all across the room.


    The tanks line the walls of the building and are spaced periodically throughout the floor, reaching Li Feng¡¯s height. Inside each tank, different fish swim in bluish water. Most of the fish in the tanks are standard, like the ones found at markets near bodies of water. Some tanks have colorful fish in them, and others have fish with strange bodies. Many of the species of unknown to Li Feng, and the fish resembling a pig, complete with pink skin and tusks, is the most interesting.


    After looking at all the fish on the second floor, Li Feng and Lam Bai ascend to the third floor. There, Li Feng and Lam Bai look at tanks filled with water-dwelling animals that couldn¡¯t be considered fish. There are crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and a tank in the center of the room contains an octopus.


    The fish on the previous floor and the crustaceans on the second floor all swim away from Li Feng and Lam Bai when they approach, but the octopus latches onto the glass, as if trying to attack. Li Feng suspects it¡¯s trying to get free, considering it was recently captured.


    On the fourth floor are only skeletons, and Li Feng doesn¡¯t spend much time here. Skeletons are boring, and he¡¯s much more entertained by the unknown fish on the other floors. For a few hours, Li Feng stares at fish he hasn¡¯t seen before in this life or the previous one.


    Once Li Feng is satisfied with looking at aquatic creatures, he finds Lam Bai and they leave the aquarium. Going through the lobby, they pass the man from earlier, who has returned.


    ¡°How much did you pay to enter?¡± The man asks Lam Bai, almost yelling at her.


    ¡°We paid three hundred coins each,¡± Lam Bai says, walking past the man without another word.

 Chapter Twenty-Three

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Three</h1>


    After leaving the aquarium, Li Feng and Lam Bai get lunch from a nearby restaurant. The price is good, and it only takes a few minutes for them to get their food. Once they¡¯ve eaten they head for the museum across the street. It doesn¡¯t take more than a minute to arrive, but the wait is much longer than in the aquarium. In a city dedicated to their mining operation, Li Feng is surprised how many people are paying to look at rare rocks and stones.


    Once they reach the counter with a woman behind it, Lam Bai pays fifty coins each for her and Li Feng to enter the museum. She would have tried to barter for a lower price, but the line behind her made Lam Bai not want to take up too much time. After paying, Li Feng and Lam Bai go into the room behind the counter and look at the rocks there.


    Unlike in the aquarium, the museum is packed with people. There are more displays in the museum, but they are smaller than the tanks used to hold fish, and allow more objects per square foot of wall space. Worse, because Li Feng is a mere child, he has a difficult time getting a chance to look at certain displays.


    The first floor of the museum is a mix of ores and minerals. Raw and refined examples of each material are available, except for a material labeled Heavenly Steel, which has no unrefined example. According to the description, heavenly steel is made by a cultivator imbuing regular steel with spirit energy, but it can only be made by someone of the Ascendant stage or higher.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The second floor of the museum has gems, crystals, and the most expensive ores and minerals. Li Feng is interested in the contents of the museum, but it¡¯s mostly the same stuff he¡¯s seen in his previous life. With ground magic, a magician can burrow deep into the earth, reaching hundreds of miles in just a few days.


    Life evolves differently all around the world, but rocks vary only slightly between regions. Still, there are a few things Li Feng has never seen before on either floor, and those get the majority of his attention.


    On the third floor of the museum are pieces of art made from gems and crystals. The decorative statues and masks interest Li Feng, but the rock in the center of the room has most of his attention. The rock is about half the height of Li Feng and three times his width, but the sword stuck in the center reaches two feet above Li Feng¡¯s head. A sign plate on the side of the rock says Ping Feng¡¯s Demonic Dynasty Destroyer, and many more signs say Do Not Touch.

 Chapter Twenty-Four

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Four</h1>


    The story of Ping Feng and his Demonic Dynasty Destroyer sword is known to almost every child in the empire, Li Feng being no exception. Tens of thousands of years ago, an evil dynasty ruled over the entire world. They squashed uprises without compassion, killing entire cities when the faintest trace of resistance reared it¡¯s head.


    In that desolate era, a man named Ping Feng, determined to avenge his family for being wrongfully killed, created a sword which had the power to steal cultivation just by touching it. The thievery of cultivation did not happen instantly, but it occurred rapidly enough to label touching the blade as a death sentence.


    So, with the Demonic Dynasty Destroyer in hand, Ping Feng set out to enact his revenge. Cultivators of that age were best at throwing heavy punches and overpowering their foes. For Ping Feng, who trained for speed rather than power, just one hit to his body would kill him.


    However, Ping Feng never let that happen. Unaided by the life-extending forces of cultivation, Ping Feng fought through hordes of cultivators so that he could reach the emperor. With each cultivator killed by his blade, the sword became faster and stronger, cutting down stronger enemies faster than weaker ones in the past. At the height of the sword¡¯s power, it could kill an Ascendant stage cultivator with just a nick.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    When it looked like Ping Feng was about to kill the emperor, a meteorite came down from the heavens and stuck him, killing him and trapping the sword within.


    Though Ping Feng died suddenly, the story doesn¡¯t stop at his death. The emperor, stunned from having seen a meteorite crash through the ceiling of his home and squash an invader like he¡¯s squash and ant, suddenly gets assassinated by his own son. The son, a secret empathizer of Ping Feng, saw the moment as an opportunity of secure his position on the throne.


    In the end, a hundred years later, the emperor¡¯s son transformed the empire into a happy and prosperous land. Instead of attacking their neighbors, the armies of the empire focused on internal support, killing bandits and protecting trade routes. Diplomacy with foreign leaders once again opened, and peace was secured. At the time of the son¡¯s death, his dynasty completely changed from one of tyranny to one of liberty.


    But, that¡¯s still not the end. Through the ages, Ping Feng¡¯s sword has never left the meteorite. The Demonic Dynasty Destroyer couldn¡¯t be pulled from the meteorite by even the highest of Ascendant stage cultivators. Whenever a cultivator touched the sword, they lost the majority of their cultivation and had to start from 1-Mortal all over again.


    Because of the countless cultivators who had their cultivation stolen by the sword, the sword was named the Demonic Dynasty Destroyer. For millennia, it has sat in the meteorite, waiting for someone to pull it loose and wreak havoc with it, again.

 Chapter Twenty-Five

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Five</h1>


    Li Feng looks at the sword and considers his options. He could easily walk away and never think of the sword again, but a mythical object from stories of ages gone by is right in front of him.


    As a person without cultivation, he¡¯d be fooling is not try to pull the sword out! He¡¯s got nothing to lose, even if he can¡¯t pull it out!


    However, around Li Feng are still many people. Though the first and second floor have more people looking around on them, the third floor has at least ten people in sight of Li Feng. Since the Demonic Dynasty Destroyer is in the center of the room, Li Feng will have an especially difficult time not being noticed.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    And then, if he pulls the sword out successfully, what will happen to it? Li Feng doubts he¡¯ll be allowed to take the sword, which has tens of thousands of years of history behind it, back to the hotel with him. Even if he is allowed to keep it, what¡¯s going to stop an arrogant cultivator from stealing it from him? Simply wrapping a cloth around the handle makes a cultivator able to use the sword without losing their cultivation.


    Another big question is what would happen to Li Feng himself. The sword was used in the past to almost defeat an empire, it could surely be used again for the same purpose. Would Li Feng be executed as a conspirator to commit treason?


    In the end, Li Feng decides to pass on trying to pull the sword out of the meteorite. It would only produce more trouble than it¡¯s worth if he managed to pull it out, and it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going anywhere. If Li Feng needs it, the sword will likely be in the same place.


    In addition, Li Feng doesn¡¯t even know how to use a sword.

 Chapter Twenty-Six

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Six</h1>


    Li Feng and Lam Bai leave the museum after almost five hours. Because there were so many people and many more objects on display than in the aquarium, it took much longer to get a look at everything. Using his status as a child, Li Feng also got to touch most of the materials. Now, using his ground magic, Li Feng can recreate any of the ores, minerals, gems, or crystals he touched. However, these creations will only last until his mana fades from them, which happens either when he gets too far, doesn¡¯t imbue them with more mana, or purposefully takes his mana out of the creation.


    By the time Li Feng and Lam Bai are back on the streets of Quanchang, it¡¯s just starting to get dark. Their hotel is on the south side of the city, so the two walk in that direction while looking for a place to eat. Twenty minutes later, Li Feng and Lam Bai arrive at the center of the city, the massive hole leading to the bottom of the mine.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Even at the current time, several people are looking over the railing which prevents people from walking over the glass that covers the hole. When Li Feng goes to look inside the hole, he can see lights from the various levels of the mine shining out into the hole. From where he stands, the hole looks like a faintly illuminated staircase to the center of the earth.


    ¡°I wonder how deep it is,¡± Lam Bai says, standing next to Li Feng and getting a better look inside the hole.


    ¡°At least a mile,¡± Li Feng says, pondering the same question.


    Instead of further investigating the hole, Li Feng and Lam Bai walk around and continue toward the hotel. It takes them around fifteen minutes to arrive, and they both return to the room. After bathing and going back to their room to sleep, Li Feng and Lam Bai quickly fall asleep.


    At least, that¡¯s the case of Lam Bai. Li Feng has other plans.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Seven</h1>


    Night in Quanchang is almost the same as the day, except for the absence of sunlight. Most business are still open, and many people are still walking the streets. Since the underground miners have little sense of time while they dig, miners are constantly coming out of the mines. These miners frequently visit bars and brothels, eager to spend their meager pay on whores and booze.


    Criminal elements in Quanchang are highly active at all times of the day because of how packed the streets usually are. A skilled pickpocket can find much more than a skilled miner can earn in a day, but getting caught is much worse than in other cities. Almost everyone in Quanchang is a Body stage cultivator, meaning they could mine with just their fists if they broke their only pick.


    Due to the street-justice usually brought down upon criminals and unwelcome types of people, Quanchang has no need for prisons. If someone in Quanchang gets caught performing a crime, they might not live to try again.


    All of this makes it difficult for someone like Li Feng to steal a few minutes with Ping Feng¡¯s Demonic Dynasty Destroyer sword. It was one of the only things he wasn¡¯t able to touch, and felt like he¡¯d alarm Lam Bai if she saw him touching it. Surely, if someone saw him touching the sword and connected him to the Li family in Shijiang, they¡¯d think the Li family has cultivators who don¡¯t care about their stage or level. To protect his identity and honor, Li Feng had to wait until night.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Among Li Feng¡¯s magic spells aren¡¯t anything to render him invisibles, so he wears one gray tunick while pulling a second one over his head. The added weight is uncomfortable, but it¡¯s better than anyone seeing his face. Without speaking to anyone in the hotel, Li Feng leaves his room and exits onto the streets of Quanchang.


    The first thing Li Feng does is duck into a back alley. Here, it¡¯s darker, which is exactly what Li Feng wants. With a little air magic, Li Feng flies himself to the top of nearby building, stabilizing himself on the wooden shingles. All the buildings in Quanchang have slanted roofs, making it tricky to find solid footing. The singles under Li Feng¡¯s feat move slightly as he touches down, but they hold.


    Next, Li Feng jumps from roof to roof, using air magic to propel himself, gradually making his way toward the museum. Flying the entire way to the museum would be possible, but Li Feng uses the cover of buildings to prevent him being spotted. If someone does see Li Feng, they¡¯ll think they¡¯re seeing things when he¡¯s gone the next second.


    After a few jumps, Li Feng gets a grasp on the method fairly well, and quickly traverses the distance to the center of the city. In barely five minutes, Li Feng has traveled to the giant hole, and a single leap takes him into the northwest quadrant of the city. Again, with a few more jumps, Li Feng quickly arrives at the museum.

 Chapter Twenty-Eight

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Eight</h1>


    The museum building is about the same size as the hotel. It has four floors and is not connected to any of the adjacent buildings, but the number of entrances is not better than the hotel. The walls are made from, like every other building in Quanchang, wood. The glass windows cannot be opened from the outside, and there is no fireplace to climb in. Compared to Shijiang, Quanchang is a city built to prevent magician thievery.


    However, in just one regard, Quanchang lacks the ability to defend against a superiorly trained magician. Their weakness is simple, yet essential to the design of the city: windows. Because the above ground section of Quanchang is made from mostly wood, fires are prohibited in many areas. Except for when used in cooking, fires are a rare sight within the city. As such, most light is delivered by sun through large windows in the sides of buildings.


    These large windows are big enough for a man to fit through, but they can only be opened from the inside. With his ground magic, Li Feng can push the glass of the window to the side and open a hole big enough for himself to crawl in. The only reason Li Feng didn¡¯t do this at the hotel is because, when the glass is put back to its original state, the glass will be wavy. Unless Li Feng manipulates the glass for several minutes, to smooth out the surface and internals, the result will be less than perfect.


    From the roof of the museum, Li Feng falls down the side of the building and grabs onto a windowsill on the third floor. Looking inside the museum, Li Feng sees only two people looking around. One is looking at Ping Feng¡¯s sword, contemplating if he should try to pull it from the stone, and the other is looking at a golden statue of a lion. Neither looks like an accomplished cultivator, but looks don¡¯t tell everything.


    Silently, Li Feng waves left hand across the window¡¯s glass and move it aside, it bunching up at the edge of the window¡¯s frame. With the entryway made, Li Feng gives himself a little boost with air magic and climbs inside the museum.


    Before anyone can react, Li Feng uses ground magic to bind the two people in the room with iron slabs, then completely stabilizes the air around them. The second spell, similar to the spell Li Feng used in the restaurant to overhead the conversation of the imposing man, allows him to negate the transfer of sound in a small area. While the two men are trapped by heavy iron covering their entire bodies, they are unable to make a sound.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Li Feng knows he doesn¡¯t have much time until someone else comes by, and the magic he¡¯s using to restrain two people at once won¡¯t hold forever, and quickly walks to the sword embedded in meteorite. In the moonlight, the sword seems to glow a pale light, the cultivator it stole over thousands of years slowly leaking out. Li Feng doesn¡¯t know how long the sword is, but about half a foot of blade and the handle are sticking out. The rest of the sword is firmly attached to the meteorite, not having seen the light of day for tens of thousands of years.


    Li Feng places his right hand on the hilt of the sword, but nothing happens to him. The restrained man who was looking at the sword widens his eyes, but he can¡¯t move or speak. His mouth moves, but he¡¯s slowly realizing he¡¯s not making any sound.


    Subconsciously, Li Feng¡¯s mind is unraveling the secrets of blade. It analyzes every detail of the material until it can perfectly recreate it with simple ground magic.


    Not satisfied with just touching the sword¡¯s hilt, Li Feng uses ground magic on the meteorite to split it, effectively releasing Ping Feng¡¯s Demonic Dynasty Destroyer. Pulling up on the blade, Li Feng quickly runs out of arm length and must climb on the meteorite to continue pulling the sword out.


    Finally released from its meteorite bonds, the sword reaches a length of a little over four feet. The tip of the sword, which was just locked in meteorite, is shining brighter than a candle in a dark room. With its light, Li Feng can easily see the astonished face of the man next to him.


    With the sword held in both hands, Li Feng comes to the realization that Ping Feng¡¯s Demonic Dynasty Destroyer is just an ordinary sword. It¡¯s made from Heavenly Steel, which Li Feng can¡¯t make with magic. Somehow, Ping Feng enchanted the sword to steal cultivation, but that¡¯s not something Li Feng can do. Even using magic on the sword would cause it to lose the enchantment, so Li Feng can¡¯t do anything with it.


    Li Feng places the sword back into the meteorite and uses his magic to seal it inside once more. After that, he escapes back through the window and into the night. A few minutes later, the magic bindings around the two men on the third floor of the museum lose mana, freeing them.


    The man looking at the sword tries to pull it from the meteorite, just as he had seen the boy do, but only has his cultivator stolen before he can remove his hand. From 14-Body, he¡¯s now down to 68-Mortal.

 Chapter Twenty-Nine

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Twenty-Nine</h1>


    Li Feng returns to the hotel and enters through the front door. As far as he knows, nobody followed him or saw his face, and he returns to his room without worrying about having been discovered. Without giving the break-in another thought, Li Feng undresses and goes to sleep in his bed.


    The next morning, Lam Bai wakes up before Li Feng and goes to get him breakfast. She takes five hundred coins from the strongbox and exits the room, closing it behind her and locking the door.


    When Li Feng wakes up, Lam Bai is still gone. He expected to sleep longer than Lam Bai would, but didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be gone when he woke up. Instead of leaving the room and looking for her, Li Feng goes back to sleep, intending to get a few more minutes of sleep while Lam Bai is gone.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The next time Li Feng wakes up, Lam Bai is still absent. He chooses to stay awake and wait for Lam Bai, sitting on the edge of his bed and cycling his mana until she arrives.


    Cycling mana can be done by an experienced magician at all time, meaning Li Feng has been doing it every waking second of his new life, but it can also be focused on for better results. While cycling his mana, Li Feng feels it to be about three times the size it was in his previous life. As he does this, Li Feng completely loses track of time.


    At roughly seven thirty in the evening, Li Feng looks out the window of his hotel room to darkening skies. He spent the entire day uninterrupted while cycling mana, and Lam Bai has still not returned.


    ¡®Bai, where are you?¡¯ Li Feng questions as he looks out the window.

 Chapter Thirty

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty</h1>


    Li Feng changes into his gray tunic and leaves his hotel room, leaving it unlocked because he doesn¡¯t have the key to the door. At the desk on the first floor, he speaks to the woman behind it, ¡°Have you seen my servant, today?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± The woman hums, thinking about the people she¡¯s seen during the day. ¡°There was someone like that earlier this morning.¡±


    ¡°Did she tell you where she was going?¡± Li Feng asks, placing his hands on the desk. He¡¯s barely taller than the desk, and the woman towers over him like any adult would.


    ¡°She asked where she could get breakfast at and bring it back here,¡± The woman says.


    ¡°And, what¡¯d you tell her?¡± Li Feng asks, becoming annoyed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a shop, eh, six buildings towards the mine where you can have your food packaged for eating later. I told her to go there,¡± The woman says, having to think slightly.


    Without responding to the woman, Li Feng turns and walks out the door of the hotel. He turns right out the door and walks toward the center of the city, counting the shops he passes on his right until they number six. The sixth shop is a specialty store for steam buns and has trays of examples in the windows. Past the trays, Li Feng can see six people eating at four tables within the shop.


    Getting his identification card from his pocket, Li Feng enters the shop and walks to a woman taking the order of a table.


    ¡°Two with eggplant,¡± A man sitting at the table says as Li Feng approaches.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Li Feng speaks at the waitress, interrupting the man. ¡°How long have you been here, today?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Kid, fuckoff,¡± The man says, glaring at Li Feng.


    ¡°Speaking as a member of Li family,¡± Li Feng says, holding out his identification card for the man and waitress to see. ¡°You fuckoff.¡±


    ¡°Alright-,¡± The man says, moving to stand from his chair, but he is stopped by the man sitting next to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± The man next to the aggravated man says. ¡°The Li family is famous for having strong cultivators.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± The aggravated man says, wiping away his friend¡¯s hand. ¡°But this little shit needs to know to respect his betters.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been here, today?¡± Li Feng ignores the men and asks the waitress.


    ¡°Just a few hours,¡± The woman meekly says. She, unlike the aggravated man, isn¡¯t neglectful of showing Li Feng¡¯s family name the proper respect.


    ¡°Hey, listen-¡± The aggravated man yells at Li Feng, but is stopped by Li Feng¡¯s reaction.


    Reaching out with his hand pointed towards the aggravated man, Li Feng produces a cloud of snow with ice magic and pushes it over the man. ¡°Where can I find the waitress that was here this morning?¡± Li Feng asks the waitress, ignoring the aggravated man wiping his face.


    ¡°Spirit stage?!¡± The aggravated man reals back and stands from his chair. ¡°How is it possible for someone so young?!¡±


    ¡°It was An Yu,¡± The waitress replies to Li Feng¡¯s question.


    ¡°Just let him do what he wants,¡± The aggravated man¡¯s friend says, resigning himself from the interaction between his friend and Li Feng.


    ¡°And what¡¯s your name?¡± Li Feng asks the waitress.


    ¡°Right,¡± The aggravated man says, turning his body to face his table.


    ¡°My name is Zheng Chao,¡± The waitress says.


    ¡°Well then, Zheng Chao, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could show me to miss An Yu¡¯s residence,¡± Li Feng says and walks to an empty table. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here until you get off work.¡±


    As Li Feng sits, Zheng Chao continues to take the order of the table. The aggravated man doesn¡¯t let his soaked clothes ruin his experience, and he orders three steamed buns with pork in them. The man with him orders two sesame seed steamed buns and one without filling. After taking their order, Zheng Chao tries to take Li Feng¡¯s, but he declines.


    Li Feng doesn¡¯t have any money, but more importantly, he can¡¯t let anything distract him from finding Lam Bai.

 Chapter Thirty-One

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-One</h1>


    Late at night, Zheng Chao switches off with another waitress. After retreating to the back room for a few minutes, she comes out wearing a white tunic that becomes gray near the bottom. Ready to leave, she walks to Li Feng¡¯s table in the corner of the room. ¡°Are you ready to see An Yu?¡±


    ¡°Yes, take me to her,¡± Li Feng says and stands. He follows Zheng Chao out of the shop and toward the center of the city.


    People walk all around Li Feng and Zheng Chao, but Zheng Chao keeps a steady pace among the traffic. Miners coming out of the mine walk on the left side of the street, and miners entering the mine walk on the right side with Li Feng and Zheng Chao.


    This late at night, the ones coming from the mines are mostly miners looking for a classy whore. Anything that can be found above ground can be found below, but the best quality is at the surface. Several men make comments at Zheng Chao, but she ignores them all.


    At the entrance to the mine, Zheng Chao leads Li Feng inside. They walk against the iron chains on the left side of the stairway, going slightly slower than those on their right. Li Feng, having shorter legs than Zheng Chao and unable to descend as fast, uses air magic to help him glide down the stairs.


    The first level of the mine is brightly lit by lanterns and fires. Unlike the wooden city above it, the mines of Quanchang have no limit to fires being used as a light source. Most buildings in the mines are just carved out from the walls of the mine, and wooden supports are rarely used in exchange for steel supports.


    Li Feng and Zheng Chao do not stop at the first level and they continue down. The second and third level are similar to the first, brightly lit and mostly containing food stalls and shops, but the fourth level is residential. Here, Zheng Chao steps out of the stairs, and Li Feng follows her.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Straight, left, right, and Zheng Chao follows the path she knows by heart to arrive at her friend¡¯s tiny apartment. Li Feng can barely make head or tail of the dimly lit hallways, but Zheng Chao easily finds her destination, stopping outside a wooden door after a minute of walking. She knocks on the door, and looks at Li Feng. ¡°This is where An Yu lives.¡±


    A few seconds later, a person behind the door opens a viewing hole in the door and sees Zheng Chao. ¡°Hey, let me open the door,¡± She says, and closes the viewing hole before opening the door.


    ¡°Hi, Yu,¡± Zheng Chao says.


    ¡°Hello, miss,¡± Li Feng says, bowing. ¡°I was told you were working when my servant came to purchase steamed buns from your store. Do you perhaps remember her?¡±


    ¡°Hi. I might remember,¡± An Yu says, looking at Li Feng, surprised at a child would be bowing to her. Even Zheng Chao is a little surprised after seeing how Li Feng treated the miners at the shop. ¡°Can you describe her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s about as tall as miss Zheng, and wears a servant uniform like you¡¯d see at the lord¡¯s estate, and has a pretty face,¡± Li Feng says, describing Lam Bai as best he can. ¡°She might have showed your her identification card. Her name is Lam Bai, and she works for the Li family in Shijiang.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I remember her,¡± An Yu says and squats to Li Feng¡¯s level. ¡°She came to buy a steamed bun of every sweet flavor, for her young master. Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me,¡± Li Feng says, glad he found a lead. ¡°Tell me, when did Bai leave your shop?¡±


    ¡°She left right after getting the steamed buns,¡± An Yu answers. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Did anyone follow her out?¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± An Yu says, racking her brain. ¡°But, a table of five paid right after she left, didn¡¯t take their remaining steamed buns, and left.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Zheng Chao quietly says.


    ¡°Miss An, would you mind accompanying me and miss Zheng until we find these five men?¡± Li Feng asks, a fire burning in his eyes.


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± An Yu replies, both her and Zheng Chao worried over what might have happened to Li Feng¡¯s servant.

 Chapter Thirty-Two

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Two</h1>


    ¡°First, did you recognize any of the men that left after Bai did?¡± Li Feng asks An Yu as they walk back to the stairway.


    ¡°No, they were all unfamiliar,¡± An Yu replies.


    ¡°And how long exactly did it take them to follow Bai out?¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°Less than a minute,¡± An Yu answers.


    ¡°Zheng, lead me to where the whorehouses are down here,¡± Li Feng says.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Zheng Chao asks.


    ¡°Simple; this group of men probably took Bai so they could perform unspeakable acts with her. If that¡¯s the case, they would have needed a few minutes to disqus the plan beforehand. Since it didn¡¯t take more than a minute for them to leave the shop, they must have done something like this before,¡± Li Feng says. ¡°I¡¯d guess the miners did it underground first, where they had less of a chance of being caught. Right now, I need to find a previous victim or a whorehouse that knows about them.¡±


    Li Feng and the two waitresses reach the stairs and ascend to the third level of the mine, where they step out. ¡°Most whorehouses are on this level and higher,¡± Zheng Chao says. ¡°But there¡¯s at hundreds of whorehouses in Quanchang.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I better get started,¡± Li Feng says and enters the closest whorehouse.


    The inside of the whorehouse is dark except for a single candle on the desk at the end of the lobby. A large man sits behind the desk and waits for customers to come in, smiling when he sees Li Feng followed in by two women. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be here?¡± He asks Li Feng.


    ¡°My good man, I was hoping you could a tell me about a group of five men that might frequent this establishment,¡± Li Feng says, moseying on up to the desk.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not in the business of information sharing,¡± The man says, leaning forward in his chair. ¡°However, I might be convinced otherwise.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m just a child,¡± Li Feng says, pointing to himself. ¡°What could I possibly give you to change your mind?¡±


    ¡°Maybe your ma or pa has a shiny trinket at home you¡¯d be able to trade me,¡± The man says, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I like shiny things.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Li Feng says and reaches into his pocket to create a small gold nugget with ground magic. It won¡¯t last long, but the nugget should be enough to convince the man. Once it¡¯s made, Li Feng pulls the gold nugget out of his pocket and holds it in the air. ¡°You mean something like this?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± The man at the desk says and stands to take the nugget from Li Feng. Li Feng hands it over, and the man begins speaking again, ¡°I had a group of five men come in here quite recently. They tried being too tough with the girls, so I had to kick them out.¡±


    ¡°Do you know their names or where I could find any of them?¡± Li Feng asks, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out another gold nugget.


    ¡°Even more than I¡¯m not in the business of information sharing, I¡¯m not in the business of information collecting,¡± The man says, leaning back in his chair like before Li Feng arrived. ¡°I Don¡¯t take any names or addresses.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where else these men have been kicked out of?¡± Li Feng asks, shaking the gold nugget.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± The man says, and Li Feng places the nugget on the desk. ¡°Try Hua Harem on the first level. The owner said something about five guys stealing a girl a few weeks ago. It didn¡¯t end too well for her; I hope you¡¯re not looking for your mother.¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Li Feng says and turns to exit the whorehouse.


    Outside of the whorehouse, Li Feng starts walking back to the stairway up. ¡°Did you really give that man gold?¡± Zheng Chao asks.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a trick,¡± Li Feng replies and keeps walking ahead of the waitresses. ¡°He¡¯ll realize it¡¯s fake soon enough, so we should get going.¡±


    The three walk back to the stairway and ascend two floors, getting off at the first level of the mine. Here, Li Feng can faintly see the night¡¯s sky through the chains keeping people from falling into the giant hole, and he suddenly realizes how long Lam Bai¡¯s been gone for. ¡®Half a day,¡¯ Li Feng thinks and uses air magic to increase his walking speed.


    As if he¡¯s using a movement technique, Li Feng moves through the first level of the mine at twice the speed he walked in the third and fourth levels. Zheng Chao and An Yu are able to keep up by walking a little faster, but they have to run when Li Feng reaches an area without anyone to slow him down. ¡°Don¡¯t run so fast,¡± An Yu tries to tell him.


    ¡°Walk faster,¡± Li Feng says, not slowing his speed in the slightest. Neither Zheng Chao nor An Yu want to leave the young Li Feng alone in the mine, so they keep following him until they reach Hau Harem.


    The brothel is larger than the whorehouse on the third level, and it has two women working at the entrance. One is talking to a man about the price when Li Feng enters, but the other is open for him. Without wasting any time, Li Feng approaches. ¡°Hello,¡± He says, arriving at the counter the women are seated behind.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be here?¡± The woman asks.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Li Feng says, recalling what the man at the whorehouse said to him. ¡°I¡¯m trying to find a group of men that might have abducted a girl of yours a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, them,¡± The woman says, rolling her eyes. ¡°They haven¡¯t come back since, so we¡¯ve forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°I have reason to believe those men have taken another woman, and I need to find them,¡± Li Feng says, and the woman gasps. ¡°Do you have anything that would lead me to them, or can I speak to the girl they took last time?¡±


    ¡°I, no, there¡¯s nothing¡­¡± The woman says, trying to think of something she can do to help Li Feng. ¡°You can talk to the girl, Ya, on floor six, quadrant two, room eighty one.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± Li Feng says, bows, and leaves the brothel. Zheng Chao and An Yu follow him, avoiding the gazes of many men around them.

 Chapter Thirty-Three

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Three</h1>


    ¡°Can you take me to the place that woman said?¡± Li Feng asks Zheng Chao.


    ¡°Yeah, it won¡¯t take long,¡± Zheng Chao replies and leads the way. She takes Li Feng and An Yu to the stairway in a few minutes, and they go down.


    The fifth and six levels of the mine are both residential and laid out very similar to each other. The one constant between them are the hallways separating the quadrants. A hallway travels in each compass direction, dividing the floor into fourths. The quadrants aren¡¯t separated by business type or resident social class, but they help trying to locate a particular house. The first through third levels don¡¯t have quadrants, but there are substantially less doors on those levels than on the residential levels.


    Zheng Chao takes a few minutes to arrive at the apartment the counter woman sent Li Feng to, and she knocks on the door. For a few seconds, there is no answer.


    ¡°Ming?¡± A voice finally replies from behind the door. Unlike An Yu¡¯s door, this one doesn¡¯t have the viewing hole.


    ¡°No, my name is Zheng Chao,¡± Zheng Chao introduces herself. ¡°And my friends Li Feng and An Yu are here.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± An Yu says.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Li Feng says and steps forward. ¡°Miss Ya, I need to know if I can help you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ya looks at the three people in front of her, questioningly. ¡°What do you people want?¡±


    ¡°I want to help you get back at those men that kidnapped you a few weeks ago,¡± Li Feng says, and Yu flinches as she remembers the event. ¡°I just need you to lead me to their lair, to where they performed those obscene acts.¡±


    ¡°We need you help, Ya,¡± An Yu says. ¡°Those men took Li¡¯s servant while she was out running errands. You¡¯re the only one who can help us find her.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Zheng Chao says. ¡°This young master comes from an influential city nearby, and he¡¯ll be able to ask the Chen family for assistance rescuing his servant.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Can you please lead the way, miss Ya?¡± Li Feng asks. ¡°Can you help me save my servant?¡±


    Ya rapidly changes her glance between Li Feng and the ground. She¡¯s scared of the five man that brutally kidnapped and raped her, but she wants to help any way she can. As a victim, she wants to run back into her apartment and shut the door, not opening it for anything other than her friend, Ming, to bring her food. On the other hand, Ya cannot just let someone be raped by those men like she was.


    ¡°Are you going to get reinforcements?¡± Ya asks the group.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some from Chen Yan once I confirm the location of those men and my servant,¡± Li Feng says, confidently answering Ya¡¯s question.


    ¡°Then, we better hurry,¡± Ya says, and steps out of her apartment and closes the door behind her. ¡°I still remember the way I had to crawl out when they let me go.¡±


    ¡°Miss Zheng, Miss An, thank you for everything until now,¡± Li Feng says, bowing to the two women. ¡°If you¡¯d like to go home, I think I can manage from here on out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but come get us if you need help with something,¡± Zheng Chao says.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯d be glad to help however I can,¡± An Yu says, and the two waitresses leave Li Feng and Ya.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get going,¡± Li Feng says and makes room for Ya to walk past him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ya says and sets off toward the stairway, Li Feng in quick pursuit.


    On the stairway down, Ya descends at a slow pace. It¡¯s enough for Li Feng to keep up without any magical assistance, and he doesn¡¯t try to make Ya move any faster. The girl shows clear signs of abuse, her body bruised and bandaged in several places. Ya¡¯s gray tunic likely hides the majority of the damage done to her body, but the hand marks on the back of her neck are larger than the bandage she used to cover them.


    The two keep descending the stairs until the seventieth level of the mine. The area around the stairway is brightly lit, but beyond that is dim. Lanterns scarcely hang off the walls of the level and many of them are extinguished. Compared to the sixty five levels above it, level seventy is not cesspool of filth. In fact, it looks quite similar, abet darker than, level four.


    ¡°I was taken to one of the next ten floors. I don¡¯t remember exactly which, I just remember seeing seven as the first number of the floor level,¡± Ya says, referring to the wooden signs that mark each level on the stairway.


    ¡°Do you remember which room you were held in?¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Ya answers. ¡°I got out as fast as I could, and I didn¡¯t think to remember the way back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Li Feng says and steps forward, into the darkness. ¡°Wait here for now. I¡¯ll be back.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Four

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Four</h1>


    Li Feng first checks the first quadrant of the floor. With ground magic, and a spell similar to the one that allowed him to overhear the conversation in the restaurant, Li Feng can identify where people are moving across the stone floor. Every step makes a tiny vibration which gets sent to Li Feng, directing him to where the movement is happening.


    Because Ya didn¡¯t know where exactly she escaped from, Li Feng doesn¡¯t investigate the apartments that open to the stairway. There are a few people here and there, but no groups larger than three. There¡¯s the chance of part of the group not being on the ground, or being in a separate location, so Li Feng includes all groups of three or more in his search.


    Most apartments don¡¯t give Li Feng any signal back, their residents probably sleeping or away from their home. Six apartments have three people in them, and one has four. The first apartment Li Feng selects to search is the one with four people in it, and he immediately makes his way over to it.


    The apartments on all levels of the mine look identical, and there is no way to look inside the apartment except for opening the door or the viewing hole, but Li Feng can¡¯t open either of them from outside the apartment. Instead, Li Feng uses ground magic to open a small hole next to the door, allowing him to see inside the apartment. The magic is silent, and nobody in the apartment notices as Li Feng looks inside.


    It¡¯s four men sitting around a table and playing a card game. Li Feng doesn¡¯t have any reason to believe they have something to do with Lam Bai¡¯s disappearance, but he keeps his spell active around their room, ready to alert him if someone leaves. Closing the hole in the wall, Li Feng goes to investigate a room with three people in it.


    In the end, none of the apartments show any sign of Lam Bai or five men that would have kidnapped her. Li Feng searches the remaining three quadrants of the level, in order, but doesn¡¯t find anything there either. At last, having searched everywhere, he returns to the stairway and Ya.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Did you find them?¡± Ya asks.


    ¡°No,¡± Li Feng says, walking onto the stairway down. ¡°I¡¯m going to search the next floor.¡±


    The seventy first level of the mine is similar to the seventieth, and Li Feng has the identical results from his search. There are a few groups of three and four, and a single group of five, but they are all doing ordinary things in their apartments. The seventy second and third levels are the same, and Li Feng restricts his search rooms with four or more people as he searches the remaining seven levels.


    This search yields no results relative to Li Feng. Even after going back and looking through all the apartments with just three people in them, Li Feng doesn¡¯t find any signs of Lam Bai.


    ¡°Maybe we should ask the Chen family for assistance,¡± Ya suggests as she and Li Feng ascend to the seventieth level of the mine.


    ¡°No, I will not ask another family for assistance,¡± Li Feng states. He had goals to become the next Heavenly Ascended Emperor. It would look bad if he was seen asking for help from other families instead of relying on his own power. Besides, Li Feng still has a few tricks up his sleeves.


    ¡°Then, what will you do now?¡± Ya asks.


    ¡°Tell me, has the mine ever flooded before?¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous,¡± Ya says. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°And how about cave ins?¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°Occasionally, but they¡¯re usually constrained to a few levels,¡± Ya answers.


    ¡°Do the residents evacuate, or do they stay in their apartments,¡± Li Feng asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ya replies. ¡°I¡¯m sure some come to the stairway and others stay at their apartment.¡±


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Li Feng says and ascends one level. ¡°Tell me if you recognize any of the men from your attack,¡± Li Feng tells Ya, and the floor begins to shake.

 Chapter Thirty-Five

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Five</h1>


    The levels of the mine seventy through eighty begin to rumble. This is being caused by Li Feng¡¯s ground magic, shaking the ground to imitate an earthquake. The mine is supported by steel beams, which means Li Feng¡¯s magic won¡¯t collapse any levels other than the ones he¡¯s shaking. Loose dirt and rocks fall from ceilings and walls, and Li Feng gradually increases the amount of shaking in the ground.


    ¡°Are you causing this?¡± Ya asks, astonished and looking at Li Feng.


    ¡°Just watch the stairway,¡± Li Feng replies and continues his magic.


    The first people to come up the stairway are weak cultivators who don¡¯t have faith in their ability to survive a collapse. Li Feng hasn¡¯t made any large chunks of rock fall, yet, but weakest cultivators are leaving before the large chunks fall. This is all according to Li Feng¡¯s plan, which is to let the majority of people living in the ten levels below him escape first.


    From what Li Feng already knows about the men that raped Ya and likely kidnapped Lam Bai, they are powerful cultivators of the Body stage. They could be all together, but that is unlikely after Li Feng searched every floor for a large group. Instead, the men have probably split up and only a few are still with Lam Bai.


    Ya watches many men and a few woman pass the sixty ninth level of the mine, most of them calmly walking up the stairs. When the stream of people slows, Li Feng turns to Ya. ¡°Any of them?¡± He asks her.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Nope,¡± She replies.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Feng says, and the ground shakes harder than before. This time, even more people evacuate, but Ya still doesn¡¯t recognize any of them.


    ¡®Headstrong cultivators,¡¯ Li Feng curses in his mind and uses air magic to create sonic booms throughout the levels seventy through eighty. The booms shake the mines slightly, but their biggest effect is the noise they create. Even the strongest cultivators, who thought they¡¯d put their arms above their head to protect themselves from falling rocks, feal fear when faced with the unknown. For almost every cultivator in the mine, a sonic boom is something they¡¯ve never heard before.


    Far more miners walk up the stairway this time, and Ya has a hard time getting a look at all of them. Some miners are even walking up the stairs used for descending, something which didn¡¯t happen the entire time Li Feng was going through the mines.


    ¡°Th, there!¡± Ya shouts, pointing at a man ascending the stairs. He¡¯s huge, easily seven feet tall, and has a bushy brown beard. He¡¯s clothed in a black tunic, and his shoulders take up half the width of the stairway. ¡°The tall one with the beard!¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Li Feng says and starts walking toward the stairway. Next to the man that Ya identified as one of her attackers, the chains that prevent people from falling into the hole in the center of the mine lash out and grab onto the man.


    Feeling trapped, the man pulls on the chains with his arms and breaks them, snapping them like twigs. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ The man questions, looking at the chains, but more come to grab onto him. He fights them off, but finally falls to a bundle of chains grabbing his legs.


    Li Feng opens a hole in the chain guards and pulls the man into the hole, then dives into the hole after him, ignoring the stares of everyone around him. Even Ya is too shocked to say anything.

 Chapter Thirty-Six

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Six</h1>


    Three weeks before Li Feng and Lam Bai arrived at Quanchang, four men became fed up with their results from mining. They found iron and some coal, but they hadn¡¯t stuck a valuable ore or gem in weeks. Disgruntled, they carried their iron-rich haul to the third floor for evaluation.


    At the third floor of the mine, a station collects rocks from miners and evaluates them for their iron content. Almost all the mined stone in Quanchang contains iron, so every bit of material can at least earn a miner some money. However, one of the miners had their brother injure his arm, making him unable to effectively mine. In order to afford the necessary medical care, it would take more coins than the group had earned in over two months.


    To blow off steam, the four men and the injured brother head to a whorehouse on the second level of the mine. For a few dozen coins, each of them can pay to relieve a little stress, but this method doesn¡¯t always work. Some days, the hard working miners have more stress than they can blow off into a whore.


    When the five men returned to their shared apartment, the injured one hatched an idea. ¡°We should take a girl back here,¡± He said to his brother and friends.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± A member of the group asked him. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I mean, like, we find a whore we all like, then we grab her and bring her here,¡± The injured man said.


    ¡°It¡¯d be cheaper than buying a whore for each of us every night,¡± The biggest man in the group, Ruan Zan, said.


    ¡°But would we do it?¡± Another member of the group asked.


    ¡°Just take a cheap brothel girl from the first level,¡± Said the injured man. ¡°You bring her here, and I can make sure she doesn¡¯t get out.¡±


    The men continued to discuss their plan, but the basics were already set. They go to the first level of the mine, pay for the group of them to enter a whore¡¯s room, then sneak away with her unconscious. The plan worked flawlessly at a brothel named Hua Harem, where the five men stole the whore Ya right out of her room.


    The men toyed and played with Ya for four days, then let her go on in the dark hallways of their floor. Disoriented, the woman crawled back to the stairway where she was found by a passing miner. The miner helped Ya back to her own level, but that was the end of the help she got.


    Quanchang is not a city for those who cannot defend themselves. Women typically work in the surface city of Quanchang, else they face the same risks that Ya did. Only a few women working in the mines are important enough to be guarded by a strong cultivator, but that is not the case for the countless whores working there.


    Ya, unfortunately, wasn¡¯t important enough to be guarded. Lam Bai, unfortunately, was too unlucky to be protected from the men¡¯s passing fancy.

 Chapter Thirty-Seven

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Seven</h1>


    Li Feng rapidly descends in freefall, chasing after Ruan Zan. Dozens of levels of the mine quickly pass as Li Feng catches up the man wrapped in chains, all the while increasing the bonds around the man. With a gust of air magic, Li Feng pushes Ruan Zan into the chains at the side of the hole and melds his chain bindings to those chains, locking Ruan Zan in place. At the same time, Li Feng uses air magic to stabilize himself at the same level, enabling him to grab onto the chains at the opposite side of the hole.


    ¡°Hey, thug,¡± Li Feng shouts at the man. ¡°You have someone important to me.¡±


    ¡°A kid?¡± Ruan Zan says, noticing Li Feng but not connecting him to the strange occurrence. With the pull of his arm, the chains binding him come loose. ¡°What are you doing down here?¡±


    ¡°You have someone important to me!¡± Li Feng shouts and uses fire magic to engulf Ruan Zan in flames. When he lets the flames subside, Ruan Zan¡¯s clothes are burnt away, the fire aided by the coal mixed into the cloth, but his skin is barely affected. ¡°Where is my servant?!¡±


    ¡°Ha, you must be the young master she kept going on about!¡± Ruan Zan shouts and frees his other arm. ¡°How would you like to join her?¡±


    Ruan Zan instantly frees his legs and jumps across the hole, and Li Feng flies up to escape. Once Ruan Zan lands on the chains where Li Feng stood a moment before, he launches himself upward at Li Feng.


    Li Feng starts shooting boulders of ice at Ruan Zan, but the cultivator is hardly affected. Li Feng keeps flying himself up the stairway, but Ruan Zan can launch himself almost as fast. Every time Li Feng builds up a little distance, Ruan Zan clears the gap in a single leap.


    To bring the fight to another playing field, Li Feng opens the chain wall around the hole and jumps onto the floor of the 183rd level of the mine. He runs into the darkness of the the hallways, breaking illuminated lanterns with water magic and extinguishing them.


    ¡°Are you trying to hide?¡± Ruan Zan yells, unable to see Li Feng in the dark but still walking forward, confident in his cultivation ability over a child. ¡°I live in these mines; I know every inch of them!¡±


    ¡°These aren¡¯t the mines you know,¡± Li Feng whispers and uses air magic to transfer the sound to Ruan Zan¡¯s ears. With ground magic, Li Feng moves the walls around Ruan Zan in random directions, completely reorganizing the mine level around him.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fancy trick of yours,¡± Ruan Zan says and kicks a newly appeared wall to destroy it. ¡°But a trick won¡¯t get you anywhere against the real thing.¡±


    Ruan Zan continues to pummel through stone while Li Feng retreats and makes more of it. There are some residents on the 183rd level, but they are mostly strong cultivators who wouldn¡¯t be hurt by a little debris from Li Feng and Ruan Zan¡¯s fight. A few step out of their apartments to see what the crashing sound is, but the fall back when Li Feng uses his magic to shift the walls surrounding them.


    Once in the very back of the 183rd level, the furthest possible away from the stairway without going down a branch tunnel, Li Feng fills the tunnel between himself and Ruan Zan with ice. Ruan Zan punches through a wall of stone only to be met with the wall of ice, but he isn¡¯t stopped by it. Like before, Ruan Zan just keeps jumping and kicking away at the ice as if it was made from spider webs.


    As Ruan Zan gets to the center of the iced tunnel, Li Feng increases his magical output exponentially. The ice drops a hundred degrees and completely encircles Ruan Zan, quickly lowering his core temperature. Also, in the bubble Ruan Zan has made for himself inside the ice, Li Feng fills it with water. Ruan Zan¡¯s skin gradually turns blue as his martial techniques fail to penetrate the ice and he loses breath.


    Just before Ruan Zan loses consciousness, Li Feng removes his mana from the ice and water above Ruan Zan¡¯s head, giving him air to breathe. However, just because Li Feng gives him this, doesn¡¯t mean Ruan Zan is in any better of a situation. Right now, he can¡¯t feel his arms or legs, and his chest is pumping blood much slower than usual. If he stays in the ice for a few minutes longer, he¡¯ll certainly die.


    ¡°Now, if you want to live with your cultivation in tact, tell me where my servant is,¡± Li Feng threatens Ruan Zan, and uses the technique he hasn¡¯t used in five years to grab ahold of Ruan Zan¡¯s dantian. ¡°Or else I¡¯ll cripple your cultivation.¡±


    Li Feng reaches out for Ruan Zan¡¯s dantian, feeling it pulse within his fingers. The housing organ for cultivated power is scared of Li Feng, and Li Feng knows it. With a gentle pull on the dantian, Ruan Zan shouts, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know!¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Li Feng says, removing his grasp from Ruan Zan¡¯s dantian. ¡°Tell me quick, or else this ice will be getting the better of you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on the seventy sixth level, quadrant three, room twenty four!¡± Ruan Zan shouts.


    ¡°Thank you, kindly,¡± Li Feng says and bows to the man. ¡°You may keep your cultivation.¡±


    Though Li Feng sounds calm, Ruan Zan is not. ¡°Gah!¡± He shouts, blood pouring from his mouth. With just a thought, Li Feng sent a spike of ice through the back of Ruan Zan¡¯s skull, piercing his brain and freezing anything it touched. Within a few seconds, Ruan Zan died.

 Chapter Thirty-Eight

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Eight</h1>


    Li Feng walks directly toward the stairway, using ground magic to open a path through walls of stone in his way. He tries to avoid going through people¡¯s homes, but the damage he and Ruan Zan did to the 183rd floor is extensive. It¡¯ll take at least a few days to clean everything up, and several support beams were damaged.


    At the stairway, Li Feng jumps into the hole and uses air magic to fly himself up to the seventy-sixth floor, where he uses ground magic to make a hole in the chain blocking him from the entering the floor. Li Feng is only slightly familiar with the addressing of apartments in the mines, so it takes him a few minutes to reach the twenty-fourth room in the third quadrant of the level. Thankfully, each quadrant has a sign to identify it with, and it doesn¡¯t take Li Feng more than ten minutes to find the correct room.


    Without knocking or waiting for something to first come through the door, Li Feng uses fire magic to incinerate the wooden door, turning it into ash in a fraction of a second. Behind the door is a man with his arm in a cast, sitting in a chair next to a woman laying in a bed.


    That woman is Lam Bai.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Filled with anger, the momentary relief from having found Lam Bai escaping him, Li Feng ground magic to launch a pebble through the injured man¡¯s head faster than he can react to Li Feng entering the room. The injured man¡¯s head splits like a watermelon under a hammer, not standing a chance against Li Feng¡¯s magic.


    ¡°Bai, are you okay?¡± Li Feng asks, approaching Lam Bai. Her servant uniform is ripped, but it¡¯s not ripped off.


    ¡°Young¡­ master?¡± Lam Bai weakly says, turning her head to look at Li Feng. Seeing him, she smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I found you,¡± Li Feng says, stopping in front of Lam Bai.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Lam Bai says.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Li Feng says, and helps Lam Bai up from the bed.


    Li Feng and Lam Bai walk out of the room, Lam Bai mostly ignoring the corpse of the injured man. They walk to the stairway, where people have gathered to look at the broken chains. Inconspicuously, Li Feng and Lam Bai walk up the descending stairs, going right past Ya and the other onlookers.


    Without stopping to talk to anyone, Li Feng and Lam Bai walk back to their hotel. Walking back up the stairway took a long time, an entire seventy six floors of stairs for the battered Lam Bai and the tired Li Feng, and it¡¯s midday when they reach the surface.


    The woman sitting behind the desk at the hotel doesn¡¯t ask any questions when Li Feng and Lam Bai pass, and the two arrive at their room soon after.

 Chapter Thirty-Nine

    <h1 style="text-align: center">Chapter Thirty-Nine</h1>


    The next two days pass smoothly for Li Feng and Lam Bai. Li Feng goes to the steamed bun shop several times, alone and looking for the other three men that took Lam Bai, but he doesn¡¯t come back with any results. Whenever Lam Bai needs to go out, she goes with Li Feng.


    Finally, on the day Li Feng and Lam Bai will be leaving Quanchang, they visit the lord¡¯s estate again. The guards make Li Feng and Lam Bai wait at the gate like last time, but they are allowed in after a guard runs to the estate, enters, and comes back out waving his hand.


    Li Feng and Lam Bai are led inside the estate and sat where they sat the first time they came over, waiting for Chen Yan to bring tea. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Chen Yan enters the room with three cups of tea in his hands.


    ¡°How was the aquarium and museum?¡± Chen Yan asks, setting two cups of tea on the coffee table and sitting back in his chair.


    ¡°There were some very interesting exhibits,¡± Li Feng replies, drinking the tea. In this entire second life of his, nothing he¡¯s ever drank as matched Chen Yan¡¯s yellow tea. ¡°However, we did have a mishap with some ruffians the following day.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Well, sometimes that happens,¡± Chen Yan says and takes a small sip from his cup.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Li Feng says, finishing off his cup. ¡°It sure does. Anyways, we¡¯ll be leaving the city soon, and I¡¯d like to thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all,¡± Chen Yan says, smiling. ¡°Can I get you another cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Li Feng replies and places his cup on the table. ¡°But, please, I think my servant would like another.¡±


    Lam Bai lowers the tea cup from her mouth, having already drained it of the contents several seconds ago. She looks from Li Feng to Chen Yan, then he holds out his hand to take Lam Bai¡¯s cup. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lam Bai says, and Chen Yan fills her cup in the kitchen.


    After Lam Bai drinks her second cup, she leaves with Li Feng. They then return to the hotel to get their luggage and leave, dropping the room key off with the woman at the desk before exiting the hotel. It¡¯s less than an hour walk to the northern gate of the city, where Li Feng and Lam Bai hire a wagon to take them to Lizhou, a logging town not too far to the north.