"Just where is it?" the voice of Xuan echoes in his head. He shouldn't be here; he should be raiding as per the agreement with Zhao Lan's husband.
So what was he doing in the dimensional library?
When he had his cultivation with her just now, after using the technique, Xuan wasn't notified about receiving any meridian yins.
So he had to quickly come back to his world in search of the cultivator bookmark.
"Or did I not bring it here? But I was certain I—" Xuan paused. "System, do you hear that?"
It wasn't from the library, but Xuan could hear his name loud and clear. It was coming from outside the library, and the system proved that right.
"Yes, Master Xuan. It appears your name is being called out countless times by Clan Master Han; he seems to sound rather upset than happy to be looking for you."
Xuan already knew all that. He wasn't really worried, though, and he had already stopped searching for the bookmark.
Still, he had to check. He can't just cultivate for waste. "Where is he?"
Indirectly answering his question, a projected image of his fat uncle was on top of the library, just a few steps away from the main sect.
Probably heading towards the library section. "I better leave before he comes."
Xuan picked up his sticks and started limping with them, quickly transporting himself into the main library.
As he opened the door, the first face he saw was his uncle's, pissed off with veins bulging out.
"You little brat." Han held Xuan by his two ears and used his might to drag Xuan out.
Causing the crippled boy to fall on the ground, with his assist sticks far from him. Xuan looked at his uncle.
"Sorry, Uncle, I got lost in one of the books."
"Fuck you... stupid little braaaat!" Han yells and kicks Xuan in the stomach—not once, not twice, but more than five times.
Even when he misses Xuan's stomach, the kick ends up connecting to the cripple's face. Xuan coughed out blood.
"Free—" he tried saying something, but his uncle didn't let him. The kicks continued with more force and temper as he cursed.
"You little stupid bastard! I lost all those horny customers because you didn't show to sell your medicine, you stupid boy!"
Every word Han said, he kicked Xuan, who was trying to activate his time-freeze skill. He managed to say the words a few times, but nothing happened.
'Was I deceived?' thought Xuan. 'Why isn't my skill making him stop? It's becoming—' he coughed out blood, tears rolling down his eyes.
Even his uncle's kicks wouldn't let him complete his thoughts. How could he think when the man was kicking his head as well?
But at last, it was Han's fatigue that saved him. The fat man was breathing heavily. He made a bloody mess out of Xuan.
"Next," he steadied his breathing. "Next," and again. "Next time you'll show up and sell those drugs."
With the sentence completed, he kicked Xuan again before leaving. "Stupid thing."
Xuan lay down facing the full clouds, followed by a thunderclap and rain syncing with his feelings.
'Why did Uncle Han not freeze?' was all Xuan could think of, slowly getting wet by the heavy rain. But he wasn't crying like a baby anymore.
He stretched his hand, crawling with his body on the mud until he was able to reach his sticks. Xuan didn't go back home; he went back inside the library.
Right now, he needed answers.
"What happened? System, did you deceive me?" asked Xuan, a very low voice, but he knows as the system isn't a normal being, it could hear him.
And it did.
"I am not authorized to lie to the keeper of the library."
Xuan chuckled, rainwater still dripping from his wet clothes. "Then tell me," said Xuan. Then his voice thundered.
"Why did Uncle Han not freeze?" yelled Xuan, veins bulging from his neck and bloodied messed-up face.
He was not only pissed off about getting beaten up and not being able to activate the shitty skill.
Xuan was also pissed off because by now he should be on his feet, walking properly.
Nipple God Technique said it gives 0 to 50 meridian yin, and he had done his calculations: if he gains 50 meridian yins, releasing it would give him twenty-five meridian points.
Adding that to his previous meridian points, then that would be fifty, and he needed forty to repair his meridian yin. So why wasn't he walking?
Or was the technique fifty-fifty? Chance of getting zero meridian yin or fifty meridian yin? That would only be the sensible explanation right now.
"I apologize for any confusion I may have caused, but skills attained can only be activated by imagining it working."
"What?" Xuan felt dumb. Did he hear that well? "I can redo five seconds," he muttered to himself.
Xuan imagined what had happened five seconds ago, and then...
"I apologize for any confusion I may have caused, but skills attained can only be activated by imagining it working."
He heard the system repeat the explanation. Xuan fell on the floor. "You'll have to compensate me for my injuries."
"Do you perhaps wish I kill the one who has dared touch the keeper?"
"Of course not, you fool! I want to kill him myself. But first, I'll have to ruin that daughter's fiancé. I know what I'll do."
Xuan stood up, walking to and fro with his hands placed on his chin.
"When that stupid groom arrives, I'll choose a technique that I'll use on Han's daughter. I'll be close to the groom and fool everyone around. No one will suspect a cripple like me to be the one cultivating with his daughter...
And then and then..." Xuan started laughing, crawling his fingers beside the nearby shelf to find a book as he schemes.
"And then I'll turn Han to resemble his daughter, and then I'll make that stupid groom fuck him raw and then... bahaha! I'll make sure I cripple Uncle Han."
Xuan felt rage. "That's your compensation. Find me a book that, as I cultivate, I grow stronger even in my magic prowess, be it aided by a weapon or not."
At this point, Xuan's eyes landed on his walking sticks. What was happening? Why was—he looked at his legs, eyes widened.
"I'm... I can—" Xuan stuttered.
"Taboo Technique Book found: Taboo Sword Art Technique."
"Fuck, I'm walking."
He was completely overjoyed.